The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has constituted a task force to study the status of Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) footballers. The task force will be chaired by Punjab Football Association president Samir Thapar and will submit its report by January 31, 2024.
The task force will evaluate the following:
- The number of PIO and OCI footballers playing at a higher level, both in India and abroad.
- The status of youth players who are of PIO or OCI origin.
- The possibility of allowing PIO and OCI footballers to represent the Indian national teams at different levels.
AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey said that the task force was a “significant step in the AIFF’s commitment to developing football in India.” He said that the task force would “help us to identify the challenges faced by PIO and OCI footballers and make recommendations to the AIFF on how to address those challenges.”
Chaubey said that the task force would also “look into the possibility of allowing PIO and OCI footballers to represent the Indian national teams.” He said that the AIFF was “aware that as per the existing law of the land, OCIs and PIOs are not allowed to represent India in international sporting events unless they adopt Indian citizenship.”
However, Chaubey said that the AIFF wanted to “open up a dialogue and look into various ways of allowing such players to represent the Indian Football Teams.” He said that the task force would “form a comprehensive database on the OCI and PIO footballers around the world, and then look for the best possible ways to use such players to take Indian football forward.”
The formation of the task force is a welcome move by the AIFF. PIO and OCI footballers have made significant contributions to Indian football in the past, and they have the potential to make even greater contributions in the future. The task force will hopefully be able to identify the challenges faced by PIO and OCI footballers and make recommendations to the AIFF on how to address those challenges. This will help to ensure that PIO and OCI footballers have the opportunity to reach their full potential and contribute to the growth of Indian football.
The task force will be a valuable resource for the AIFF as it seeks to develop football in India. The task force’s recommendations will be instrumental in helping the AIFF to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for PIO and OCI footballers. This will help to ensure that Indian football continues to grow and develop in the years to come.
