The All India Football Federation (AIFF) was adjudged the Best National Sports Federation (NSF) at the Indian Sports Awards Night at the FICCI Federation House in New Delhi on Thursday.

The AIFF was bestowed with the honour ahead of the other nominations for the award which included National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), Federation of Motor Sports Club of India and the Billiards & Snooker Federation of India.

The jury chose the AIFF for their sustained involvement in grassroots along with the setting up of AIFF Regional Academies with world class infrastructure and support staff and its professional functioning manner from the headquarters, Football House.

In 2013, AIFF was nominated among the top-three for the AFC Grassroots Member Assocuation of the Year Award and finished second behind eventual winners Japan. Currently the AIFF Grassroots Development Programme is running in as many as six states across the country.

The federation also won the bid to host the 2017 FIFA U-17 FIFA World Cup during FIFA’s Executive Committee Meeting in Brazil in December 2013.

The AIFF also has a ‘Masterplan’ in place, drafted by AIFF Technical Director Robert Baan which was launched in the Platinum Jubilee Year in 2012.

The jury was chaired by Justice Mukul Mudgal (Retd.), Chief Justice, Punjab and Haryana High Court and Head of Supreme Court Panel on Indian Premier League (IPL) match-fixing scandal.

The other members in the jury were Dr. Jiji Thomson, Director General, Sports Authority of India; Prof. Rajesh Tripathi, Chairperson, All India Council of Physical Education and Principal, VNS College of Physical Education and Management Studies; Nitin Kukreja, President, Star Sports India; Karnam Malleswari, former Olympic Medalist; Indu Puri, former National Champion, Table Tennis and Abhijit Sarkar, Head Corporate Communication, Sahara India Pariwar.

Praful Patel, President, AIFF thanked FICCI for conferring the prestigious award.

“I sincerely thank FICCI for recognising the efforts put in by AIFF. AIFF stays committed towards developing the game on a pan-India basis and will not leave any stone unturned in the process,” he told AIFF Media.

“With India having won the bid to host the 2017 U-17 World Cup, we believe it will be a game-changer for the sport in the country. At the same time, it’s our responsibility to conduct it in the best possible manner along with all the stakeholders.”

Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF, felt the award will “bring in a spring in everyone’s step in the AIFF.”

“AIFF is a professional and transparent organisation which works 24×7 to bring glory to the game in the country. We have categorised the workflow into various specialised departments which range from the national team to I-League to grassroots, coach education, academies, competitions, referees, media and communications and more.”

“The appreciation from FICCI in the form of the award is very encouraging. The youth working at Football House would be further inspired. I need to thank FICCI for their gesture.”

“The fact that the jury found us most deserving ahead other professional national sports federations reflects our positive vibes.”

The category has been in existence since 2009 and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) had earlier bagged the Awards.

(Report courtesy AIFF Media)