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The All India Football Federation's (AIFF) Disciplinary Committee has handed Jamshedpur FC forward Gourav Mukhi a six-month ban after it found him guilty of fudging age records.
Mukhi was celebrated as the 'youngest goalscorer' of the Indian Super League (ISL) at 16 when he came off the bench to score Jamshedpur FC's first goal against Bengaluru FC on October 7 in the 2-2 draw.
ALSO READ: How old is '16-year-old' Gourav Mukhi?
However, there were serious doubts whether he was actually 16 as the Jharkhand native was found to be an overaged player during the Sub-Junior National Football Championship in 2015. If Mukhi was over the age of 14 in 2015, there was no way that he could be 16 three years later in 2018.
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The AIFF DC discovered exactly that when they called Mukhi for a hearing at the Football House in Dwarka, Delhi, on Saturday, November 24.
Finally, on Sunday, November 25, the day that Jamshedpur FC were slated to take on Chennaiyin FC at home, the AIFF announced that the player was suspended for six months.
"All India Football Federation (AIFF) Disciplinary Committee has imposed a six-month suspension on Jamshedpur FC player Gourav Mukhi with immediate effect," a statement from the ISL read.
"The AIFF Disciplinary Committee found the player Gourav Mukhi guilty on the basis of the evidence presented by him, his admissions and the statements of Manager of U-16 AIFF academy in 2015."
Apart from the suspension, Mukhi's registration at the AIFF's Central Registration System has been expelled. This means that Mukhi has to register himself with the AIFF again by submitting his actual age document.
Mukhi cannot play in the ISL or the Super Cup anymore this season.
"In addition, the AIFF Disciplinary Committee also observed that the existing registration of Gaurav Mukhi, both in the Central Registration System (CRS) as well as the Competition Management System (CMS) shall stand cancelled and revoked with immediate effect, with liberty upon the player/ his appropriate club, to submit original valid appropriate documents for fresh registration under CRS and CMS," the statement added.
How old is Gourav Mukhi then?
Well, suppose he was 15 during the Sub-Junior National Football Championship in 2015, he could be an adult now.
This guess is backed up well by a previous AIFF statement, which stated that Mukhi had submitted an original age document which stated that he was born on 4 May 1999. Going by that document, he's 19 now.
No punishment for Jamshedpur?
It is, however, unclear if Jamshedpur FC will be punished. As per the code, a club is also held liable for the infringement committed by one of its players. In such a case, an expulsion from a competition and/or a transfer ban shall be pronounced in addition to a fine for the club concerned.
Now that it's proven that Mukhi is not 16, Komal Thatal is the youngest goalscorer of the ISL.
