THE DELHI HIGH COURT has issued a notice to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to respond to a writ petition seeking the removal of deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan for allegedly violating an age-cap provision in AIFF’s constitution. The next hearing is set for July 9.
Article 54.5 of AIFF’s constitution, adopted in November 2025, requires all employees to retire at 60. Satyanarayan, 65, was appointed in 2023 and continues to serve as the signing authority on all official AIFF communications and administrative decisions. The petition states the federation “cannot selectively comply with certain provisions of the Constitution while simultaneously disregarding mandatory constitutional prescriptions.”
AIFF is separately working on a draft constitution under the National Sports Governance Act 2026, which would replace the fixed 60-year cap with superannuation in line with Indian law. The draft requires approval from 75% of eligible members.
