Cash strapped Uttarakhand state football body charging extra from players to run its office

The Uttarakhand State Football Association (USFA) has charged football players registering at Dehradun’s Maharana Pratap Sports College double the fees. This is under the Academy Registration policy of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

This fact was revealed due to an RTI which was filed by Raju Gusain, a sports activist based in Dehradun in Uttarakhand.

The AIFF says in their circular that a state unit should charge ₹100 per player under the Academy Registration policy, yet UFA officials have charged ₹200 per player.

The USFA charged a total of ₹9400 for the registration of 47 players and the amount was paid online by the state government-run sports college. The excess amount (₹4700) was allegedly pocketed in the process.

The incident reveals the gross violation of AIFF guidelines by the state association.

“Overcharging for registration under the Academy Registration shows there is lack of transparency and good governance at the grassroots level,” Gusain said. “Due to alleged corruption at the district and state level, the development of football has taken a back seat.”

Academies registered with the AIFF get the opportunity to compete in their football leagues. Those academies who fulfil the fundamental criteria laid down by the federation are eligible for the Central Registration System.

The USFA has been under the scanner for several issues, including a lack of good governance. There has been no senior state league for the past two decades.

The recent allegations show the state unit, whose president is Uttarakhand state cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal, in a poor light. The unit has its office in Haldwani, Nainital.

However, retired football coach, Akhtar Ali, who is the secretary of AIFF, denied any wrongdoing. He gave an explanation for the amount taken and said that the state unit has not overcharged Dehradun’s Sports College.

“We have to deposit ₹118 with the AIFF. The remaining amount of ₹82 per player goes to the state unit for its day-to-day expenses as the state unit doesn’t have financial resources,” Ali told Sportskeeda over the phone.

Whether this is a sufficient explanation for the actions or not remains to be seen. The matter needs to be looked into by higher authorities.