Manipur High Court directs AIFF to resolve conflict between AMFA and clubs

The Manipur High Court on Thursday directed the All India Football Federation to resolve the stand-off between the Manipur State League Participating Teams’ Forum (MSLPTF) and the All Manipur Football Association.

The court order read, “In the recent past, certain differences arose between the petitioner associations and the All Manipur Football Association which prompted the petitioners to approach this Court by way of various writ petitions.”

The order, of which The Field has a copy, continued:

“Before adverting to the rival contentions of the parties, this Court is of the view that it would be appropriate for referring the issues to the All India Football Federation which is a party in this writ petition to resolve the same.

“Accordingly, these writ petitions are disposed of with the direction that the petitioner associations shall submit their detailed representations incorporating therein their grievances and problems to the All India Football Federation within a week after serving a copy thereof to the All Manipur Football Association.

“The All Manipur Football Association, after receipt of a copy the said representation, shall submit its response thereto to the All India Football Federation within a week thereafter. On receipt of the representations as well as replies of the AMFA, the All India Football Federation will grant the parties opportunity of being heard and applying its judicious mind, it shall pass a speaking order...”

Trouble with the MSL

The participating teams of the Manipur State League had initially come together to form the MSLPTF and had listed a set of demands to be fulfilled by the AMFA before they could continue with the MSL.

When the impasse continued, I-League team Neroca, 2nd division team TRAU and eight other teams of the MSL had filed a writ petition against the AMFA, who had tweaked rules for the prestigious CC Meet, one of the oldest competitions in Manipur, to disallow the teams in the MSLPTF from taking part.

Later, Neroca and TRAU would withdraw under heavy pressure in order to keep their national campaigns going as the MSL has been a farcical affair after the initial stoppage of two months. Currently, only three, Neroca, KLASA and SSU, of the 12 teams, are continuing with the MSL as the stand-off continues to affect the rest of the teams.