After A 6-Year Absence, The Federation Cup Returns To Indian Football

The Federation Cup football event, which holds the title of India’s top cup competition, will return after a six-year hiatus beginning with the 2023–24 season, the sport’s governing body said on Monday.

The I-League will now include five more clubs after the All India Football Federation (AIFF) “accommodated all five bidders into the I-League, with the vision of expanding the competition to a stronger league.”

Additionally, the Karnataka State Football Association (KFSA) secretary Satyanarayan M has been named the AIFF’s new deputy secretary general.

These choices were made during the executive committee meeting of the federation.

The executive committee believed it would be “prudent to revive a legacy competition” like the Federation Cup in accordance with AIFF’s Vision 2047 agenda.

As a result, the Federation Cup will begin serving as India’s top cup competition in the 2023–24 season, according to a press statement from the AIFF.

Five organisations submitted bids for corporate entries into the I-League: YMS Finance Pvt Ltd (Varanasi, UP), Namdhari Seeds Pvt Ltd (Bhaini Sahib Village, Punjab), Nimida United Sports Development Pvt Ltd (Bengaluru, Karnataka), Concatenate Advest Advisory Pvt Ltd (Delhi), and Bunkerhill Pvt Ltd (Ambala, Haryana).

All five of the bids will be accepted into the I-League, according to the highest decision-making body.

The SAFF Championship final between Kuwait and the Indian senior men’s national team is tomorrow, according to AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, and this executive committee meeting is taking place on the same day.

“Despite two teams from outside the SAFF area competing in the current SAFF Championship, considered to be much better teams, India reached the final and is vying for their ninth championship.

“This is convincing evidence of India’s developing football prowess. It has been shown that Indian football is progressing in the correct path by reaching the FIFA rating of 100 after winning consecutive tournaments in Imphal and Bhubaneswar.

He said, “This executive committee’s greatest strength is their unwavering belief in conducting the game in the nation in the most democratic way.

Perhaps never before has the federation been administered with such a high level of internal democracy, where everyone has the freedom to express their ideas.

Tuesday’s SAFF Championship final in Bengaluru will feature India vs. Kuwait.

Shaji Prabhakaran, the secretary general of the AIFF, stated: “We had open discussions on Indian football agendas, especially the decision to inculcate five new clubs into the I-League, which is historic.”