SC appoints ex-football captain as ombudsman, says AIFF

New Delhi [India], November 11 (ANI): The Supreme Court had appointed former football captain Bhaskar Ganguly as ombudsman, says All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Saturday.

A statement from the AIFF stated that, the apex court also appointed S Y Qureshi, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, who has also served as Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India as the ombudsmen to formulate the AIFF Constitution within eight weeks.

Meanwhile, the top court stayed the order of the Delhi High Court allowing all AIFF elected committees to function on a regular basis.

Yesterday, the apex court had refused to stay the High Court's order of setting aside the election of NCP leader Praful Patel as the president of the sports' governing body.

Earlier, the AIFF had approached the Supreme Court and sought a stay on the Delhi High Court's October 31 order, which had also appointed former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi as the administrator of the governing body.

On October 31, the High Court had set aside the election of Praful Patel as the president of the AIFF and called for fresh elections within five months asserting that National Sports Code was not followed during previous elections.

Following the verdict, the AIFF had said in a statement, "AIFF is not aware of the reasons of the Delhi High Court to pass this order. Once AIFF receives the copy of the Order from the High Court, AIFF will decide the course of action in accordance with the law."

The AIFF statement, which was issued hours after the Delhi High Court's decision, had read that the court has directed to amend the AIFF Constitution to make it compliant with the National Sports Code.

The statement had also informed that the AIFF had approached the court and filed a detailed affidavit to bring on record that it has followed the election process as prescribed under Sports Code, its constitution as well FIFA and AFC statutes.

Patel has been the president of India's association football governing body AIFF since 2012.

In December 2016, he was re-elected unopposed as the president for the third time.

The 2016 elections were made after the lower court vacated a stay on the elections of the national sports body for alleged non-adherence to the Sports Code.(ANI)