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Six players who will face T20 World Cup for the first time

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The World Cup – is a dream stage for every player in the world. Always the ultimate goal of the athletes is to wear the jersey of their country and thus every year several young talents will come to their country hoping to win the prestigious trophy.

  1. Tristan Stubbs

At the age of 22, Tristan Stubbs is being touted by many as the future of South African cricket. He is yet to make a name for himself in the international arena but when it comes to domestic cricket (T20), Stubbs has already proved his mettle. In 34 domestic T20 matches, Stubbs has scored 784 runs at an average rate of 160.65.

  1. Harry Brook

Another young talent who could make a name for himself in the cricket world in the coming years is England batsman Harry Brook. Although he hasn’t done anything extraordinary in his short international career, his domestic record speaks volumes about his potential. The 23-year-old has played just four T20Is and has scored 65 runs. On the other hand, he has scored 2125 runs in 83 domestic T20 matches, at an impressive strike rate of 149.33.

  1. Arshdeep Singh

23-year-old Arshdeep Singh is known as a bowling specialist in death overs. He has proved himself several times in the Indian Premier League tournament, due to which the selection committee has selected him for the Indian squad. Arshdeep has taken 14 wickets in 11 international T20 matches he has played so far. He was unfortunately subjected to massive inconsiderate trolls on social media due to his lost catch in the Super 4 match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. It was a strong reason for the T20 World Cup selection based on his pace and ability to swing the ball.

  1. Mosaddek Hossain

Although Mossadegh hasn’t played many T20Is, the 26-year-old showed his mettle in the Asia Cup. In the 23 T20 international matches he has played, Mossadegh has scored 310 runs at a strike rate of 120.62. The additional spinner has taken 14 wickets at an economy rate of 6.69 in the same number of matches. Thus, he can surely be a valuable asset for Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup.

  1. Naseem Shah

Naseem Shah has shown excellent performances in the limited opportunities he has had in T20Is. He played his debut T20I in the Asia Cup and took 7 wickets in five matches. He hit back-to-back sixes against Afghanistan in the last over of the Super 4 clash which helped Pakistan qualify for the final of the competition. In Australia, pitches are traditionally suited to fast bowlers. So Nazim can be a big threat. His numbers in domestic T20 leagues do not do justice to his abilities. In the 50 matches he has played, Naseem has taken only 51 wickets and that too at an economy rate of 8.12.

  1. Philip Salt

Philip Salt, known as the Tonker of the cricket ball, is a popular figure in several global T20 leagues. As an opener, he likes to be aggressive right from the first ball but he is yet to perform at the international level. Salt has scored only 68 runs in the four Twenty20 internationals he has played. In domestic cricket, he has accumulated 3640 runs in 158 matches so far. Despite hitting a good 150.22, his average is 25.45 which is a pity.

ප්‍රථම වරට විස්සයි 20 ලෝක කුසලානයට මුහුණ දෙන ක්‍රීඩකයන් හය දෙනෙක්

ලෝක කුසලානය – ලෝකයේ සෑම ක්‍රීඩකයෙකුගේම සිහින වේදිකාවක්. සෑම විටම ක්‍රීඩක ක්‍රීඩිකාවන්ගේ පරම පරමාර්ථය වන්නේ තම රටේ ජර්සිය පැළඳීම වන අතර ඒ අනුව සෑම වසරකම නවක දක්ෂයින් කිහිප දෙනෙකු තම රටට කීර්තිමත් කුසලානය දිනා ගැනීමේ බලාපොරොත්තුවෙන් පැමිණෙනු ඇත.

  1. Tristan Stubbs

වයස අවුරුදු 22 දී, ට්‍රිස්ටන් ස්ටබ්ස් දකුණු අප්‍රිකානු ක්‍රිකට් වල අනාගතය ලෙස බොහෝ දෙනා හදුන්වනු ලැබේ. ඔහු තවමත් ජාත්‍යන්තර තරග පිටියේ නමක් ලබාගෙන නැති නමුත් දේශීය ක්‍රිකට් (විස්සයි20) සම්බන්ධයෙන් ගත් කල, ස්ටබ්ස් දැනටමත් ඔහුගේ දක්ෂතා ඔප්පු කර ඇත. දේශීය විස්සයි20 තරග 34කදී, ස්ටබ්ස් ලකුණු 784ක් රැස්කර ඇත්තේ 160.65ක දළ ලකුණු වේගයක් ලබා ගනිමිනි.

  1. Harry Brook

ඉදිරි වසරවලදී ක්‍රිකට් ලෝකය නමක් දිනා ගත හැකි තවත් තරුණ දක්ෂයෙක් වන්නේ එංගලන්ත පිතිකරු හැරී බෘක් ය. ඔහුගේ කෙටි ජාත්‍යන්තර ජීවිතය තුළ ඔහු අසාමාන්‍ය දෙයක් කර නැතත්, ඔහුගේ දේශීය වාර්තාව ඔහුගේ හැකියාවන් ගැන කතා කරයි. 23 හැවිරිදි ඔහු විස්සයි20 තරග හතරකට පමණක් ක්‍රීඩා කර ඇති අතර ලකුණු 65ක් ලබාගෙන ඇත. අනෙක් අතට, ඔහු දේශීය T20 තරඟ 83 කදී, 149.33 ක ආකර්ෂණීය පහර වේගයකින් ලකුණු 2125 ක් ලබා ඇත.

  1. Arshdeep Singh

23 හැවිරිදි අර්ෂ්දීප් සිං ඩෙත් ඕවර් වල පන්දු යැවීමේ විශේෂඥයෙකු ලෙස හැඳින්වේ. ඔහු ඉන්දීය ප්‍රිමියර් ලීග් තරඟාවලියේදී කිහිප වතාවක්ම තමා බව ඔප්පු කර ඇති අතර, ඒ හේතුවෙන් තේරීම් කමිටුව ඔහුව ඉන්දීය සංචිතය සදහා තෝරාගෙන ඇත. අර්ෂ්දීප් මෙතෙක් ක්‍රීඩා කර ඇති ජාත්‍යන්තර විස්සයි20 ජාත්‍යන්තර තරග 11 කදී කඩුලු 14 ක් දවාගෙන තිබේ. ආසියානු කුසලානයේ පකිස්ථානයට එරෙහි සුපිරි 4 තරඟයේදී ඔහුට අහිමි වූ උඩ පන්දුව හේතුවෙන් ඔහු අවාසනාවන්ත ලෙස සමාජ මාධ්‍යවල දැවැන්ත නොසැලකිලිමත් ට්‍රෝල් වලට ලක් විය. ඔහුගේ පන්දු යැවීමේ වේගය හා පන්දුව දෝලනය කිරීමට ඇති හැකියාව මත T20 ලෝක කුසලාන තේරීම සඳහා එය ප්‍රබල හේතුවක් විය.

  1. Mosaddek Hossain

මොසැඩෙක් විශාල විස්සයි 20 තරග සංඛ්‍යාවක් ක්‍රීඩා කර නොතිබුණද, 26 හැවිරිදි ඔහු ආසියානු කුසලානයේදී ඔහුගේ දක්ෂතා පෙන්වීය. ඔහු ක්‍රීඩා කර ඇති විස්සයි20 ජාත්‍යන්තර තරග 23කදී මොසැඩෙක් ලකුණු 310ක් ලබාගෙන ඇත්තේ 120.62ක පහර වේගයකිනි. අතිරේක දඟ පන්දු යවන්නා වන ඔහු එම තරග සංඛ්‍යාවේදීම 6.69ක ආර්ථික වේගයකින් කඩුලු 14ක් දවාගෙන ඇත. මේ අනුව, ඔහු නිසැකවම T20 ලෝක කුසලානයේදී බංග්ලාදේශයට වටිනා සම්පතක් විය හැකිය.

  1. Naseem Shah

විස්සයි20 තරඟවලදී ඔහුට ලැබී ඇති සීමිත අවස්ථා වලදී නසීම් ෂා විශිෂ්ට දක්ෂතා පෙන්වා ඇත. ඔහු සිය මංගල T20I ආසියානු කුසලානයේදීම ක්‍රීඩා කළ අතර තරඟ පහකදී කඩුලු 7ක් දවා ගත්තේය. සුපර් 4 ගැටුමේ අවසන් ඕවරයේදී ඇෆ්ගනිස්තානයට එරෙහිව ඔහු පිට පිට හයේ පහරවල් එල්ල කළේ පාකිස්තානයට තරගයේ අවසන් මහා තරගයට සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමට හේතු විය. ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාවේ, තණතීරු සම්ප්‍රදායිකව වේග පන්දු යවන්නන්ට උචිත වේ. එම නිසා නසීම් විශාල තර්ජනයක් විය හැකිය. දේශීය T20 ලීගවල ඔහුගේ සංඛ්‍යාව ඔහුගේ හැකියාවන්ට සාධාරණයක් ඉටු නොකරයි. ඔහු සහභාගි වූ තරග 50 තුළදී, නසීම් දවාගෙන ඇත්තේ කඩුලු 51ක් පමණක් වන අතර, එයද 8.12ක ආර්ථික වේගයකින් දවාගෙන ඇත.

  1. Philip Salt

ක්‍රිකට් පන්දුවේ ටෝන්කර් ලෙස හැඳින්වෙන පිලිප් සෝල්ට් ගෝලීය T20 ලීග කිහිපයකම ජනප්‍රිය චරිතයකි. ආරම්භක පිතිකරුවෙකු ලෙස, ඔහු පළමු පන්දුවේ සිටම ආක්‍රමණශීලී වීමට කැමති නමුත් ඔහු තවමත් ජාත්‍යන්තර මට්ටමින් ක්‍රියාත්මක වෙමින් පවතී. ඔහු ක්‍රීඩා කළ විස්සයි20 ජාත්‍යන්තර තරග හතරේදී සෝල්ට් ලබාගෙන ඇත්තේ ලකුණු 68ක් පමණි. දේශීය ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩාවේදී ඔහු මේ දක්වා තරග 158කදී ලකුණු 3640ක් රැස්කරගෙන ඇත. 150.22ක හොඳ පහරක් එල්ල කළත් ඔහුගේ සාමාන්‍යය 25.45ක් වීම කණගාටුවට කරුණක්.

முதல் முறையாக டி20 உலகக் கோப்பையை எதிர்கொள்ளும் ஆறு வீரர்கள்

உலகக் கோப்பை – உலகில் உள்ள ஒவ்வொரு வீரருக்கும் ஒரு கனவு மேடை. விளையாட்டு வீரர்களின் இறுதி இலக்கு எப்போதும் தங்கள் நாட்டின் ஜெர்சியை அணிவதாகும், இதனால் ஒவ்வொரு ஆண்டும் பல இளம் திறமைகள் மதிப்புமிக்க கோப்பையை வெல்லும் நம்பிக்கையில் தங்கள் நாட்டிற்கு வருவார்கள்.

  1. டிரிஸ்டன் ஸ்டப்ஸ்

22 வயதில், டிரிஸ்டன் ஸ்டப்ஸ் தென்னாப்பிரிக்க கிரிக்கெட்டின் எதிர்காலம் என்று பலராலும் பேசப்படுகிறார். அவர் இன்னும் சர்வதேச அரங்கில் தனக்கென ஒரு பெயரை உருவாக்கவில்லை, ஆனால் உள்நாட்டு கிரிக்கெட் (டி20) என்று வரும்போது, ​​ஸ்டப்ஸ் ஏற்கனவே தனது திறமையை நிரூபித்துள்ளார். 34 உள்நாட்டு டி20 போட்டிகளில், ஸ்டப்ஸ் சராசரியாக 160.65 என்ற விகிதத்தில் 784 ரன்கள் எடுத்துள்ளார்.

  1. ஹாரி புரூக்

வரும் ஆண்டுகளில் கிரிக்கெட் உலகில் தனக்கென ஒரு பெயரை உருவாக்கக்கூடிய மற்றொரு இளம் திறமையாளர் இங்கிலாந்து பேட்ஸ்மேன் ஹாரி புரூக். அவர் தனது குறுகிய சர்வதேச வாழ்க்கையில் அசாதாரணமான எதையும் செய்யவில்லை என்றாலும், அவரது உள்நாட்டு சாதனை அவரது திறனைப் பேசுகிறது. 23 வயதான அவர் நான்கு டி20 போட்டிகளில் விளையாடி 65 ரன்கள் எடுத்துள்ளார். மறுபுறம், அவர் 83 உள்நாட்டு டி20 போட்டிகளில் 149.33 ஸ்ட்ரைக் ரேட்டில் 2125 ரன்கள் எடுத்துள்ளார்.

  1. அர்ஷ்தீப் சிங்

23 வயதான அர்ஷ்தீப் சிங் டெத் ஓவர்களில் பந்துவீச்சு நிபுணராக அறியப்படுகிறார். இந்தியன் பிரீமியர் லீக் போட்டியில் அவர் பலமுறை தன்னை நிரூபித்துள்ளார், இதன் காரணமாக தேர்வுக்குழு அவரை இந்திய அணிக்கு தேர்வு செய்துள்ளது. அர்ஷ்தீப் இதுவரை 11 சர்வதேச டி20 போட்டிகளில் விளையாடி 14 விக்கெட்டுகளை வீழ்த்தியுள்ளார். ஆசியக் கோப்பையில் பாகிஸ்தானுக்கு எதிரான சூப்பர் 4 போட்டியில் அவர் இழந்த கேட்ச் காரணமாக அவர் துரதிர்ஷ்டவசமாக சமூக ஊடகங்களில் பெரும் கவனக்குறைவான ட்ரோல்களுக்கு ஆளானார். அவரது வேகம் மற்றும் பந்தை ஸ்விங் செய்யும் திறன் ஆகியவற்றின் அடிப்படையில் டி20 உலகக் கோப்பை தேர்வுக்கு இது ஒரு வலுவான காரணம்.

  1. மொசாடெக் ஹொசைன்

மொசாடெக் பல டி20 போட்டிகளில் விளையாடவில்லை என்றாலும், 26 வயதான அவர் ஆசிய கோப்பையில் தனது திறமையை வெளிப்படுத்தினார். அவர் விளையாடிய 23 டி20 சர்வதேச போட்டிகளில், மொசாடெக் 120.62 ஸ்ட்ரைக் ரேட்டில் 310 ரன்கள் எடுத்துள்ளார். கூடுதல் சுழற்பந்து வீச்சாளர் அதே எண்ணிக்கையிலான போட்டிகளில் 6.69 என்ற பொருளாதார விகிதத்தில் 14 விக்கெட்டுகளை வீழ்த்தியுள்ளார். இதனால், டி20 உலகக் கோப்பையில் வங்கதேச அணிக்கு அவர் நிச்சயம் மதிப்புமிக்க சொத்தாக இருக்க முடியும்.

  1. நசீம் ஷா

நசீம் ஷா டி20 போட்டிகளில் தனக்கு கிடைத்த குறைந்த வாய்ப்புகளில் சிறப்பான ஆட்டத்தை வெளிப்படுத்தியுள்ளார். அவர் ஆசிய கோப்பையில் தனது முதல் டி20 ஐ விளையாடி ஐந்து போட்டிகளில் 7 விக்கெட்டுகளை வீழ்த்தினார். அவர் சூப்பர் 4 மோதலின் கடைசி ஓவரில் ஆப்கானிஸ்தானுக்கு எதிராக அடுத்தடுத்து சிக்ஸர்களை அடித்தார், இது போட்டியின் இறுதிப் போட்டிக்கு பாகிஸ்தான் தகுதி பெற உதவியது. ஆஸ்திரேலியாவில், ஆடுகளங்கள் பாரம்பரியமாக வேகப்பந்து வீச்சாளர்களுக்கு ஏற்றது. எனவே நாஜிம் ஒரு பெரிய அச்சுறுத்தலாக இருக்கலாம். உள்நாட்டு டி20 லீக்குகளில் அவரது எண்ணிக்கை அவரது திறமைக்கு நியாயம் அளிக்கவில்லை. அவர் விளையாடிய 50 போட்டிகளில், நசீம் 51 விக்கெட்டுகளை மட்டுமே எடுத்துள்ளார், அதுவும் 8.12 என்ற பொருளாதார விகிதத்தில்.

  1. பிலிப் உப்பு

கிரிக்கெட் பந்தின் டோங்கர் என்று அழைக்கப்படும் பிலிப் சால்ட், பல உலகளாவிய T20 லீக்குகளில் பிரபலமானவர். ஒரு தொடக்க ஆட்டக்காரராக, அவர் முதல் பந்திலிருந்தே ஆக்ரோஷமாக இருக்க விரும்புகிறார், ஆனால் அவர் இன்னும் சர்வதேச அளவில் செயல்படவில்லை. சால்ட் தான் விளையாடிய நான்கு இருபதுக்கு 20 சர்வதேசப் போட்டிகளில் 68 ரன்கள் மட்டுமே எடுத்துள்ளார். உள்நாட்டு கிரிக்கெட்டில் இதுவரை 158 போட்டிகளில் விளையாடி 3640 ரன்கள் குவித்துள்ளார். நல்ல 150.22 அடித்தாலும், அவரது சராசரி 25.45 என்பது பரிதாபம்.

Football

Lifebuoy Bodywash Ball Blaster 2025 Kicks Off in Grand Style!

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Colombo, October 9, 2025 – The wait is finally over! The Lifebuoy Bodywash Ball Blaster 1st Eleven Football Challenge Trophy 2025 officially kicked off on October 4th with a spectacular start, marking another milestone in Sri Lanka’s school football journey.

Organized under the guidance of the Ministry of Education and in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Schools Football Association (SLSFA), the event is proudly organized and broadcast by Sri Lankan Sports TV (SLSTV). The tournament showcases the best of young Sri Lankan football talent from across the island, with 16 leading Division I schools vying for national glory.

Tournament Overview

The competition features 16 top football schools divided into four groups (A–D), competing in 24 matches during the group stages.
Following the intense group battles, the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, followed by semi-finals and the grand finale scheduled for November 9, 2025.

The opening day witnessed Gateway College and St. Joseph’s College, Colombo setting the tone with a thrilling curtain-raiser, while matches in Gampola, Eravur, Kalutara, and Jaffna are already electrifying local crowds with football fever.

Group Line-up

Group A

  • Zahira College, Colombo
  • Darrusalam College
  • Gampola Zahira College
  • Kingswood College, Kandy

Group B

  • Aligar Central College, Eravur
  • Kalutara Muslim Central College
  • Maristella College, Negombo
  • Royal College, Colombo

Group C

  • St. Joseph’s College, Colombo
  • St. Patrick’s College, Jaffna
  • St. Benedict’s College, Colombo
  • Gateway College

Group D

  • Hameed Al Husseinie College, Colombo
  • Al Falah College, Negombo
  • Baduriya Central College, Mawanella
  • Waddakachchi Central College, Kilinochchi

Key Fixtures

  • Oct 4: Gateway College vs St. Joseph’s College (City League, 2.00 PM)
  • Oct 6: Zahira College vs Darrusalam College (City League, 4.30 PM)
  • Oct 9: St. Benedict’s College vs Gateway College (University Grounds)
  • Oct 12: St. Patrick’s College vs St. Benedict’s College (City League, 3.30 PM)
  • Oct 19: St. Patrick’s College vs St. Joseph’s College (Jaffna Durayappa, 4.00 PM)
  • Oct 25–26: Quarter Finals
  • Nov 2: Semi Finals
  • Nov 9: 3rd Place Match & Grand Final

Proud Partners Behind the Tournament

The success of the Ball Blaster 2025 is powered by the commitment and partnership of Sri Lanka’s leading brands:

  • 🧴 Title Sponsor: Lifebuoy Bodywash – Promoting health, hygiene, and youth empowerment through sport.
  • 🥤 Refreshing Partner: Elephant House Lemonade – Keeping players and fans refreshed throughout the intense tournament.
  • ✈️ Travel Partner: Sky Market Travel – Supporting smooth team travel and logistics across the island.
  • 👕 Clothing Partner: Aacty Wear – Outfitting players, officials, and referees with professional-grade sportswear.

A Celebration of Youth Football

“The Lifebuoy Bodywash Ball Blaster 2025 is not just a tournament—it’s a celebration of youth, energy, and sporting excellence,” said the organizing team of Sri Lankan Sports TV. “With the support of our sponsors and partners, we are elevating the standard of school football in Sri Lanka and inspiring the next generation of athletes.”

Watch the Action Live

Fans can experience every thrilling moment of the Ball Blaster 2025 through Sri Lankan Sports TV’s exclusive coverage, including:
🎥 Live match broadcasts
📸 Highlights and interviews
📲 Digital updates on social media

👉 Visit Sri Lankan Sports TV Online for full fixtures, results, and exclusive stories.

The Future of School Football

The Lifebuoy Bodywash Ball Blaster 2025 has already captured the hearts of fans nationwide. With passion, teamwork, and the roar of young lions on full display, the journey toward the championship promises unforgettable footballing moments that define the future of the game in Sri Lanka.

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Lifebuoy Ball Blaster 2025: Sri Lanka’s Biggest School Football Showdown Gears Up

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Colombo, September 19 – The countdown is on for the Lifebuoy Ball Blaster 1st Eleven Football Challenge Trophy 2025, the most anticipated school football tournament of the year, set to bring together the best young footballing talent from across Sri Lanka.

Organized under the guidance of the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Schools Football Association (SLSFA), and broadcast by Sri Lankan Sports TV, the championship is expected to raise the standard of school football while creating unforgettable memories for players and fans alike.

Tournament Structure

This year’s edition will feature 16 Division 1 schools, divided into four groups of four teams. Over the course of the first round, a total of 24 matches will be played across Colombo, starting in the first week of October with a grand opening ceremony at 2:00 pm.

  • Opening Match: Hameed Al Hussaini College vs. Al Falah College, Negombo
  • Curtain Raiser: Zahira College, Colombo (defending champions) vs. Darrussaalam College, Colombo

The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals, followed by the semi-finals, before the Grand Finale in the first week of November. The final venue will be chosen based on the teams that qualify, ensuring equal support and excitement from school fans.

Sponsorship Partnerships

A strong line-up of sponsors is powering Ball Blaster 2025, making it a professionally executed tournament.

  • Title Sponsor – Lifebuoy: Leading the way, Lifebuoy continues to champion youth empowerment through sport, health, and hygiene, reinforcing its mission to build healthier, more active communities.
  • Refreshing Partner – Elephant House Lemonade: A timeless favorite in Sri Lankan households, Lemonade will keep players and fans refreshed as the heat of competition rises.
  • Official Travel Partner – Sky Market Travel: Supporting the smooth logistics of the event, ensuring school teams across regions can fully focus on their football journey.
  • Official Clothing Partner – Aacty Wear: Outfitting players, referees, and officials with professional, stylish gear that elevates the identity of school football and promotes local sportswear excellence.

First-Time Milestones

For the first time in history, the tournament has launched its very own official anthem, adding an extra layer of pride, passion, and identity to Ball Blaster 2025. The anthem’s lyrical video has already captured the excitement of fans, building momentum as kick-off draws near.

Furthermore, in a significant step towards supporting schools, the organizers have taken the initiative to provide all participating teams with playing kits and official kits. This move ensures equal opportunity and professionalism across the competition, uplifting both the players’ experience and the overall image of the championship.

A Celebration of Youth & Football

“The Lifebuoy Ball Blaster is not just a football tournament; it’s a celebration of youth, talent, and sportsmanship,” the organizers stated. “With the support of our valued partners Lifebuoy, Elephant House Lemonade, Sky Market Travel, and Aacty Wear, we are committed to elevating school football in Sri Lanka.”

Fans nationwide can look forward to live telecasts, highlights, and digital updates on Sri Lankan Sports TV, ensuring the energy of the matches reaches every corner of the country.

As excitement builds, one thing is clear – Ball Blaster 2025 is set to be more than just a tournament; it’s a stage for the next generation of Sri Lankan football stars to shine.

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AIFF Faces FIFA, AFC Ban Threat as October 30 Deadline Looms

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Indian football is staring at yet another international suspension as FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have jointly warned the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to ratify its long-pending constitution by October 30, 2025, or risk a complete ban from world football.

In a strongly-worded two-page letter sent on Tuesday (August 26) to AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, FIFA and AFC expressed “profound concern” over the failure to finalise and implement a revised constitution, a matter pending before India’s Supreme Court since 2017.

If suspended, India’s national teams and clubs would be barred from all international competitions, while the country’s ambitious 2036 Olympic Games bid in Ahmedabad could also be thrown into uncertainty.

FIFA & AFC Ultimatum

The letter, signed by FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer Elkhan Mammadov and AFC Deputy General Secretary Vahid Kardany, set out three urgent requirements for the AIFF:

1. Obtain a definitive Supreme Court order approving the revised constitution.

2. Ensure full compliance with FIFA and AFC statutes.

3. Formally ratify the constitution at the next AIFF General Meeting.

Failure to comply, they warned, would trigger sanctions, including full suspension of AIFF membership.

Previous Suspension in 2022

This is not the first governance crisis to hit Indian football. In August 2022, FIFA suspended the AIFF for “third-party interference” after a court-appointed Committee of Administrators temporarily ran the federation. That ban lasted just two weeks, lifted only after fresh elections were held in which Kalyan Chaubey defeated football legend Bhaichung Bhutia.

Domestic Fallout – ISL in Crisis

The deadlock has already disrupted Indian football at the domestic level. The Indian Super League (ISL), India’s top-tier professional league, has been put “on hold” by Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the AIFF’s commercial partner, due to uncertainty over its Master Rights Agreement, which expires in December 2025.

At least three clubs have suspended operations or delayed salaries, while all 11 ISL clubs have warned of an “existential crisis.” Reports from FIFPRO further highlight cases of players’ contracts being terminated, leaving livelihoods at risk.

The Supreme Court of India will hear the matter again on August 28, a session that could determine the immediate future of the ISL and India’s football calendar.

What’s at Stake

If AIFF fails to meet the October deadline, India could lose:

• Participation in FIFA and AFC tournaments.

• Entry rights for national teams and clubs in international competitions.

• Momentum in its 2036 Olympics bid.

• Credibility with players, fans, and commercial partners.

For now, the football fraternity in India waits anxiously for the Supreme Court’s verdict and AIFF’s ability to steer through yet another governance storm

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