I-League 2017/18: AIFF assures stern action after Miverva Punjab FC report match-fixing approach

New Delhi: All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) Integrity Officer Javed Siraj on Thursday (January 18, 2017) stressed on AIFF’s zero-tolerance policy towards any match-fixing allegations or any corruption related to the sport.

Siraj who has been an Integrity Officer with AIFF heading its anti-corruption unit since August 2014 as per the FIFA guidelines, felt the need of the hour is to “jointly combat any threats which can bring disrepute to the sport.”

“We have been conducting regular educative and awareness workshops with the various Clubs and even various age-group National Teams on a regular basis. This time too prior to the kick-off of the Hero I-League we met majority of the Clubs making them aware as what needs to be done in case of any crisis,” he said.

“We always pay emphasis on the Three R-s – Recognise, Reject and Report. Our aim is to protect the players and the officials and protect from the malice of manipulation,” he added.

Referring to reports about Minerva Punjab Football Club footballers being approached by external forces Siraj stated: “I need to applaud the two Footballers who Recognised, Rejected and Reported the incident. We await an official complaint from the Club and will leave no stone unturned to protect the integrity of Football,” he clarified.

“Very recently, the Asian Football Confederation has launched an app on integrity wherein any team member can directly pass on information regarding approach,” he stated.