New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Saturday decided to approach the sports ministry to change its name to Football Federation of Bharat (FFB) after a proposal to that effect was accepted during the Special General Body Meeting here.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey told PTI that the name change will happen only after a go ahead from the sports ministry. He said the national federation will also take approval from the world governing body, FIFA.
“This proposal (to change) will be sent to the sports ministry. It’s a process and the process began today,” Chaubey said.
“If the ministry does not approve, or if they have any other opinion, then there is no question. If the ministry approves, then we will bring to the general body. Then we will send to FIFA. That is the second part of this process.
“We need several approvals, FIFA’s approval, the ministry’s approval, but then you have to start from somewhere. So it is a start.” He cited examples of football associations of countries like Turkiye (new name of Turkey) and Czechia (Czech Republic) for the move to change AIFF’s name.
ISL 2026-27 to start on Sept 4
The general body has also given its approval to start the 2026-27 Indian Super League (ISL) from September 4. The annual calendar of the AIFF was also passed, and the schedule of the ISL will be decided by the managing committee.
The 2026-27 ISL is expected to be a full seven-month season, with home and away matches for the 14 participating teams.
Meanwhile, the AIFF yet again did not take a final decision on the structure of the ISL, leaving the matter to the managing committee made up of five representatives of the 14 clubs, three officials from the national federation and three from the commercial partners.
“The proposal has come from the clubs. And it’s a proposal which has to be discussed across the table. The clubs will have to be party to the discussion. So, the AIFF will discuss with the clubs.
“The managing committee will have the right to take it forward. After that, it will go to the executive committee for the ratification.” On May 23, the AIFF, in an earlier SGM, had approved the adoption of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. The AIFF constitution will now be aligned with the NSGA 2025.
Earlier this month, the AIFF has agreed “in principle” to the club-led model of running the ISL for two years after a meeting with sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
London-headquartered Genius Sports had emerged as the highest bidder for the commercial rights of the ISL after the AIFF floated the tender earlier this year. It had promised Rs 2,129 crore for ISL and a cup competition for the next 15+5 years, including 5% increase per year. That amounted to around Rs 64 crore per year.
Under the revenue sharing model as per the Genius Sports bid, the AIFF was to get Rs 12.4 crore in the first year. The AIFF also wanted to charge the clubs an entry fee, a proposal that has not found favour with the ISL clubs.
The clubs had opposed to Genius Sports becoming the commercial rights holders.
They instead proposed to acquire the commercial rights of the ISL for the two-year period and pay the AIFF Rs 15.4 crore per year to cover the costs associated with the regulatory functions that the national federation is required to discharge in its capacity as the governing body, including refereeing, legal, integrity and anti-doping support.
In their proposal, the ISL clubs had made “unequivocal” commitment that the AIFF’s role as the regulatory body of Indian football will be fully preserved and respected.
All core regulatory functions shall continue to remain exclusively with the AIFF, including referee appointment and management, legal and integrity oversight, anti-doping support and compliance, sporting regulations, player registration and transfer systems, compliance with FIFA and AFC regulations.
They said the proposed structure ensures a clean and appropriate separation between the commercial and regulatory functions of the league.