Indian Pro Football Ad-hoc Committee meeting

The AFC Ad-hoc Committee for Indian Professional Football took stock of the Indian game by reviewing the implementation of its objectives yesterday. The meeting was held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur under the chairmanship of Acting AFC President Zhang Jilong, the committee put the focus on Indian football and the recent improvements brought about in the I-League with AFC's assistance.

At the outset, Jilong had words of praise for the members' active participation in achieving the goals.

"AFC succeeded in setting up the criteria for Indian League, the selection of Indian League participating clubs and the launch of the league," Zhang Jilong said.

"AFC will continue to support Indian football because we want India to move forward as a leading member association of the continent."

While adding, "FIFA and AFC are both working together towards development of Indian football. We need all the Asian countries, irrespective of their size or strength, to make progress."

The AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das highlighted several activities related to the Indian League.

"Now three clubs organise their home matches and we hope in the future more clubs will follow the same," he said.

"We also have a committee to review and monitor activities of the league. We have also started centralised accreditation system and formulated national club licensing regulations. We will also form Club Licensing Committee and Club Licensing Appeals body soon," he said.

FIFA's Senior Development Manager for Asia, David Borja briefed the members on the progress of 'Win in India, with India' project saying artificial turfs in Bangalore and Shillong had been completed and would be handed over by early December. He said the artificial turf in Mumbai's Cooperage ground would be installed by the end of the year and additional funds had been approved for the stadium’s renovation.

He said some facilities at the AIFF House in New Delhi would also be upgraded.

Borja also revealed that FIFA would fund regional academies in India up to US$200,000 per year for each of the academies from 2012-17 and help the AIFF identify potential sponsors at the regional level to support the academies.

"FIFA will also design the training curriculum for regional and elite academies and will set up guidelines for talent identification. FIFA will also financially support youth and grassroots development programmes," said Borja. "FIFA will also organise annual courses and refresher courses coaches, referees and instructors."

The next meeting of the AFC Ad-hoc Committee for Indian Professional Football, to be held in India next year, will be the last meeting of this committee.