Shillong, Sep 21: The All India Football Federation is prepared to provide financial aid to its affiliated state associations as they continue to weather the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a meeting with state representatives held today, AIFF President Praful Patel announced that the governing body will waive its share of transfer fees, amounting to Rs 1.32 crore, as well as Rs 34.5 lakh of academy accreditation fees for the current season.
The AIFF President also announced a Covid solidarity fund of Rs 3 crore, which will be discussed individually with state associations to understand their individual requirements. At the meeting the Maharashtra (Western India Football Association) and West Bengal (Indian Football Association) bodies decided to forego the grant.
“I understand that the Covid pandemic has made life difficult for all of us – not just for football but for all issues regarding our livelihood,” Patel said.
“The Indian Football season is all set to kick-off from October onwards. Despite the difficult situation we hope to move ahead with the planned calendar. But there’s always a doubt whether we would be able to conduct ourselves as planned,” he added while noting that the battle against the virus is far from over, which has prevented teams from reassembling and camps from taking place.
