The Hindu : Sport : APOA appeal to AIFF

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APOA appeal to AIFF

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Olympic Association (APOA) has appealed to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Secretary, Alberto Colaco, to set its affiliated unit — Andhra Pradesh Football Association (APFA) — in order ahead of the AFC Challenge Cup to be held here from July 30.

In a letter addressed to Colaco, the APOA said that the APFA was literally dormant over the years because of warring groups and legal battles.

“In the interest of the sport in the State, and considering the fact that Andhra Pradesh could not even field a team for the Santosh Trophy recently, the APOA even appointed an ad hoc panel to run the sport to ensure justice to the players,” the APOA Secretary, L. Venkatram Reddy, stated.

However, APOA welcomed the recent statement by AIFF President P.R. Das Munsi that all the warring groups should withdraw the court cases and work for a permanent solution by means of a compromise.

“But again, it is sad that the apex body in the State, namely the APOA, was never taken into consideration on this front. And as you see there is total confusion again since one group has again proclaimed itself as the legitimate representative and even declared that it would go ahead with the Rahim League tournament. That even this ran into rough weather was the logical conclusion considering the mess that the sport is in,” the statement said.

“Hence, it is imperative that representatives of the SAAP, APOA and the AIFF should be there on the ad hoc panel along with local officials to avoid any controversies ahead of the AFC Challenge Cup,” Reddy suggested.

“We sincerely hope that necessary steps will be taken in this regard even while re-asserting that APOA cannot recognise any individual or a group unless that is ratified by the general body of the APFA in the presence of observers from the AIFF, SAAP and APOA,” he said.

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