"We will thoroughly examine the incidents" - AIFF President on players being approached for manipulating I-League games
All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey recently reiterated their commitment to keep the game free from corruption. His comments came after news broke out that several I-League players have been approached by certain individuals and groups to manipulate games this season.
Chaubey has reinforced the 'zero tolerance' policy of AIFF towards matters that threaten the integrity of the game and the organisation governing it in India.
In an official statement released by the AIFF on Thursday, November 30, Chaubey said:
"We have received information of multiple approaches to our players. We will thoroughly examine the incidents, investigate, and take all necessary action."
"We are committed to protecting our players and our beautiful game and will not tolerate any attempts of this nature to put the players and the game at risk," he added.
"We will also continue to strengthen our institutional capacities" - AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey
Former India goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey, who was renowned for maintaining his integrity and dignity during his playing career, has maintained that he will not tolerate any corruption when it comes to governing the game either.
It is a malaise that has struck Indian football of late, but if the president's words are to be believed, the AIFF is working hard to weed it out as quickly as possible.
"We will also continue to strengthen our institutional capacities to not only counter such threats but also educate our players and officials on how to recognise, respond to, and report incidents of this nature,” concluded Kalyan Chaubey.
However, Chaubey did not disclose the names of the players who were approached and how they received the information.
The 2023-24 I League season got underway in October and more than 40 matches have already been played in the 13-team tournament.