Daijiworld Media Network- Panaji
Panaji, Jul 25: In an unprecedented escalation of internal dissent, Lalnghinglova Hmar, Chairperson of the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) League Committee and Mizoram’s Sports Minister, has taken strong exception to the AIFF’s contradictory positions in the Mario Barco registration controversy — a dispute that ultimately saw the I-League title settled at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.
In a strongly-worded letter addressed to AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, Hmar expressed deep disappointment and confusion over the AIFF’s “vacillating stands” that, he claimed, undermined the credibility of its own League Committee.
The controversy stemmed from Spanish forward Mario Barco’s re-registration by Inter Kashi, after being replaced due to injury. When another player, Juan Perez del Pino, terminated his contract, Barco was re-registered. While the AIFF's competitions department initially denied the request, the League Committee overruled it and approved Barco’s return.
However, Churchill Brothers, Namdhari FC, and Delhi FC lodged protests, eventually winning a decision from the AIFF Appeals Committee. The decision was overturned by CAS — a historic first for Indian football, where a league title was ultimately decided in an international court.
Hmar, popularly known as Tetea, was scathing in his critique of the federation’s handling of the legal proceedings.
“I am afraid to say the AIFF failed to take a definite stand on the subject,” wrote Hmar. “Its complete volte-face at CAS — contradicting its own earlier submission to the AIFF Appeals Committee — has raised serious doubts.”
He highlighted that while the AIFF initially acknowledged the League Committee's jurisdiction, it reversed course at CAS, asserting that the committee lacked the authority to make the decision. This contradiction, Hmar argued, “threatens the fabric and tradition of Indian domestic football.”
“The league committee is a standing body constituted and approved by the executive committee,” he noted, adding that AIFF’s submission effectively belittled its own committee.
“It is absolutely shocking. So much so, the AIFF secretariat didn’t even bother to present the League Committee’s decision before the executive committee for approval.”
The episode has not only revealed internal fault lines within Indian football’s governing body but has also cast a shadow over Inter Kashi’s maiden I-League title, declared after CAS struck down the AIFF Appeals Committee’s ruling.
As questions over transparency and governance mount, Hmar’s letter may fuel a renewed push for institutional reforms within AIFF, especially concerning the autonomy and respect due to its statutory committees.