Relegated from I-League, 2 Manipur clubs tell Delhi HC ethnic conflict affected performance

New Delhi, Aug 24 (PTI) The ethnic conflict in Manipur since May last year has affected the performance and mental strength of the players, two Imphal-based football clubs have said in their petition to the Delhi High Court, while pleading for quashing of the national federation’s (AIFF) decision to relegate them from the I-League.

Last month, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) relegated NEROCA FC and TRAU FC from the I-League after the two Manipur clubs finished at the bottom of the 2023-24 season points table. NEROCA finished 12th with 14 points while TRAU got 13 points to end at 13th and last spot.

Beacuse of the prevailing conditions in Manipur, NEROCA and TRAU could not play their home matches in Imphal. They played five of their home games in Kalyani, West Bengal, while the remaining seven were played in Shillong.

The two clubs had also requested to shift their respective away matches against Aizawl FC to a neutral venue. Thousands of people from the other ethnic community involved in the conflict had shifted to Mizoram.

Later, NEROCA and TRAU refused to travel to Aizawl to play their away matches on April 8 and 12, leading to the AIFF cancelling the two games.

The AIFF took the decision to relegate the two clubs to I-League second division despite Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s earlier request to exempt the two Imphal-based clubs from relegation, citing ethnic conflict in the state that began on May 3, 2023.

The two clubs have now knocked the doors of Delhi HC which has issued notice to the AIFF. The case is coming up for hearing on September 6.

“Counsel for the petitioners asserts that this relegation is arbitrary and it fails to consider not only the petitioners past performances and scores but also the societal background immediately preceding the qualifying matches which determined the petitioners’ placement,” an order of Delhi HC single bench read.

The order of Justice Sanjeev Narula delivered on July 24 said “prior to the conclusion of the footballing season from 2022-23, the situation in Manipur became alarming leading to loss of life, vandalism, destruction of properties and communal clashes in the state.”

“Due to such communal disturbances and keeping in mind the prevailing law and order situation, the ‘home base’ venue for the petitioners’ I-League matches were shifted to the Kalyani Stadium in Kolkata. The teams had to travel outside the state of Manipur and set up a new ‘home-base’ outside their actual home state.

“Moreover, on account of the grave fear of imminent devastation of their homes, family and close ones, the mental strength of the players was severely affected. Due to these circumstances, the petitioner teams ended up at the bottom of the scoreboard for the I-League season 2023-24,” the petitioners said, according to the order of the HC single bench.

The two clubs submitted to the High Court that the AIFF has the discretionary power to take into account the prevailing circumstances faced by a football club and consider exemption from relegation.

They said such a power has previously been invoked by the AIFF to exempt other football clubs from relegation on account of prevailing situation faced by the teams.

“The petitioners point out that there have been situations in the past where such an exemption from relegation, as requested by the petitioners, was granted by AIFF to other football clubs, details thereof are mentioned in the present petitions.

“The petitioners claim parity with these earlier instances of exemption being granted to other football club. They argued that AIFF ought not to have taken a rigid approach by ignoring the relevant circumstances,” according to the order.