FIFA ban: Gokulam Kerala FC stranded in Uzbekistan, writes to Modi

CHENNAI: Gokulam Kerala FC wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday requesting to intervene after the FIFA banned All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) and allow them to play in AFC Women's Club Championship 2022.

The women's team is currently in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Soon after the ban, the team was declared ineligible to play in the AFC Women's Club Championship 2022.

We are ready to take everyone on for these girls, no matter what stands on the way.

Requesting clubs in India to join hands, to do the best we can for these players. @KeralaBlasters @ChennaiyinFC @HydFCOfficial @OdishaFC pic.twitter.com/28RQnqYkOb

— Gokulam Kerala FC (@GokulamKeralaFC) August 17, 2022

The Gokulam Kerala FC on their official Twitter handle, wrote, "We are ready to take everyone on for these girls, no matter what stands on the way. Requesting clubs in India to join hands, to do the best we can for these players. @KeralaBlasters @ChennaiyinFC @HydFCOfficial @OdishaFC," the Tweet read.

“Our team reached Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from Kozhikode during the early hours of 16th of August 2022,” wrote Ashok Kumar, the Gokulam Kerala FC CEO on Twitter tagging the Prime Minister. “On arrival, we heard through various media outlets that FIFA has banned AIFF (All India Football Federation) and the clubs are therefore no longer entitled to take part in the international competition until the suspension is lifted,” he wrote further.

The team tweeted, "The Gokulam Kerala FC is a club that won back-to-back I-league and Indian Women's League in the last two years. Our women's team is the pride and the crown jewel for all us and these players have proved themselves to be the best in India."

“In the light of the above, we request PMOs good officers to intervene in this matter and make all efforts to revoke FIFA ban and include us back in the AFC Women’s Club Championship as the champion club of India. Our Prime Minister’s dream is to make India a Super Power and become number 1 in the world,” Kumar further wrote in the letter.

“In a small way, our club is spearheading the efforts to bring women’s football in India by being the champion club of Indian since 2019. Such an unforeseen ban should not be detrimental to our efforts in making INDIA proud to become the number one women’s football nation in Asia,” he added.

FIFA, the apex football body, suspended AIFF with "immediate effect due to undue influence from third parties", jeopardising the country's staging of the U-17 Women's World Cup in October. The AIFF will not be able to play any international games until the ban is removed.