The All India Football Federation Emergency Committee presided by President Mr. Praful Patel held a meeting to discuss on release of the players by the clubs despite the clear and unequivocal obligation of both member associations and clubs to ensure players are released for national duty as enunciated in article 13 (J) of the AIFF Constitution and article 37 (2) of the Player’s Status Regulations.
The Indian Team leaves for the “+ONE India Caribbean Tour 2011” on August 12, 2011 to play 3 International Friendlies with Guyana (August 17), Trinidad & Tobago (August 21) and Barbados (Aug 24). The Players will return back on August 26, 2011 which leaves them nearly three weeks to join the pre-season camp before the Federation Cup commencing on September 17, 2011.
The international friendlies with Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago have already been posted on the FIFA website, while the other match with Barbados is expected to appear on the FIFA website soon.
The Head Coach of the National Team Mr. Armando Colaco said: “It is imperative that such exposure trips are made in the interest of developing Indian Football and the Clubs should cooperate.”
The Indian U-23 team is also going for an exposure trip to the UK where they will play an international friendly with Pakistan and friendlies with England U-23 and Scotland U-21 teams.
In the interest of developing football in the country, the committee expects full co-operation from the concerned member associations and clubs for release of the players.
It was further decided to rename the Indian Arrows as Pailan Arrows and to formally appoint Mr. Sukhwinder Singh as the Technical Director of Pailan Arrows.
(AIFF Press Release)