NEW DELHI: The All India Football Federation's (AIFF) League Committee on Tuesday recommended inviting bids from interested parties to establish a new Indian Women's League (IWL) team, expanding the tournament to 10 teams.
This move aligns with FIFA and AFC's recommendation for the league to fulfill its 90-match quota.
In its first agenda item, the committee discussed revisions to the entry fees for various leagues, including the I-League, I-League 2, I-League 3, IWL, IWL 2, Futsal Club Championship, Youth Leagues, and the Super Cup.
The committee also deliberated extensively on strategies to combat age fraud in the Youth Leagues.
It recommended that "if a team is found to have three or more over-aged players in their squad, and if any of the aforementioned players take part in any match, the result/results of the match/matches in question will be nullified. The team will stand disqualified from the tournament."
"If less than three players are above the specified age limit, any match the players in question have participated in, will be awarded to the opponents with a 3-0 margin of victory, or retain the respective match result, whichever is greater."
Additionally, the committee unanimously confirmed the relegation of NEROCA FC and TRAU FC from the I-League based on their league results.
The committee also decided to refer the issue concerning these two teams' away I-League matches against Aizawl FC at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl to the AIFF Executive Committee. Both NEROCA FC and TRAU FC had refused to travel to Aizawl, citing security reasons.
(With PTI inputs)
