What’s the story?
DSK Shivajians, the I-League club, are going to be punished for breaking the laws of the league. The team snubbed their pre-match press conference prior to the game against Mohun Bagan, and will now have to shell out a sum of 20,000 rupees as per All India Football Federation rules.
According to Article 36(b) of the league regulations, “The head coaches of participating clubs and one (1) starting player from each club are obliged to attend and participate in a pre-match press conference to be held at least one day before the match. The participating club's media officer must ensure the attendance of the head coach and one starting player.”
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Any infringement "will result in disciplinary action which may include a fine of a minimum of Rs 20,000 and the head coach may be subject to a ban from the dressing room and/or the substitutes bench".
In case you didn’t know...
DSK played the mighty Mohun Bagan in the 10th round of the Hero I-League at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday. They lost the match 3-1 to the Mariners, which further added to their misery.
The heart of the matter
As is the case with all professional leagues worldwide, teams in the I-League are expected to attend pre and post match press conferences. Journalists gather to ask the attending players, coaches or managers about the upcoming game or the result, about the team and its preparations, or even about their opinion on events occurring throughout the season.
Also Read: DSK Shivajians pay touching tribute to Mohun Bagan fan who passed away recently
As such, skipping conferences without any specific reason results in a lack of communication between an outfit and the press, and is generally seen as a sign of unprofessionalism.
Parallels from history
The Indian football governing body has been strict in their dealings to defaulters of late, as was shown in the manner in which they suspended Mohun Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen for four games last season. Bengaluru FC were also fined in 2015 by the AIFF to the tune of Rs. 2 lakhs and were advised to “improve organisational facilities’.
Sportskeeda’s Take
While professionalism has not always been the AIFF’s forte, the trend may just be beginning to change now. Skipping a press conference may seem like a minor offence, but a breach of the law warrants a fine and the defaulters must be punished as per the rules to maintain the integrity of the league.
One hopes that the AIFF extends their professionalism in areas like match scheduling, broadcasting, training, and stadium services to ensure a better experience for the viewers and a holistic development of football in the country as well.
