The AIFF Club Licensing Committee First Instance Body (FIB) which met at the at Football House in Dwarka on Tuesday decided to give an one-time exemption for the National Club License to all 12 I-League clubs for the upcoming 2013-14 season.

All 12 clubs, apart from Pune FC who was granted the AFC and National License after complying with all ‘A’ Grade Criteria, had requested for a year’s exemption to the Club Licensing Appeals Body which in turn had referred the case back to the Licensing Committee for the final decision.

The Licensing Committee members present at the meeting – Chairman Dr. Girija Shanker Mungali, Advocate Ushanath Banerjee, Punkaj Jain (Chartered Accountant) and I-League CEO Sunando Dhar – unanimously agreed to grant one-time exemption to the 12 clubs for the upcoming season.

“This is the only exemption given to all the 12 clubs for the football season 2013-14. They will have to comply with all the ‘A’ Grade Criteria just as Pune FC did for the National License from the 2014-15 season onwards and no further exemption will be given if they fail to meet ‘A’ Grade Criteria,” Chairman Dr. Mungali told AIFF Media.

The 12 concerned clubs are Dempo SC, Salgaocar SC, Churchill Brothers, East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Sporting Clube de Goa, United SC, Mohammedan Sporting, Mumbai FC, Rangdajied FC, Shillong Lajong FC and Pailan Arrows.

(Report & Picture courtesy AIFF Media)