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The Indian men's football team faces a do-or-die encounter with reigning Asian champions Qatar in their final Group A match of the <keyword id="3711881" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FIFA-World-Cup-2026" source="Orion">FIFA World Cup 2026</keyword> <keyword id="22015291" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AFC-qualifiers" source="keywords">AFC qualifiers</keyword>. This decisive clash will take place at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Tuesday, and the stakes couldn't be higher for India. Compounding the challenge, India will be without their talismanic striker <keyword id="20013715" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunil-Chhetri" source="keywords">Sunil Chhetri</keyword>, who retired from international football following a goalless draw against Kuwait last week. With Chhetri's departure, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu will step up to captain the team in Doha. For India, the outcome of the match against Qatar will be crucial in keeping their hopes of advancing to the FIFA World Cup 2026 alive. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How can India qualify for the third round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers?" comment="subhead" text="How can India qualify for the third round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers?">How can India qualify for the third round of <keyword id="20983702" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FIFA-World-Cup-2026-qualifiers" source="keywords">FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers</keyword>?</cmsannotation> To progress to the third round of the qualifiers, India needs to secure a top-two finish in Group A. Current standings show Qatar sitting comfortably at the top with 13 points, having already secured a place in the next round. India, with five points from as many games, is second, holding a narrow lead over Afghanistan based on goal difference. Kuwait trails closely with four points. In the final round of fixtures, India, Afghanistan and Kuwait all have a shot at claiming the second spot. While India faces the formidable task of beating Qatar, Kuwait will host Afghanistan in a parallel match that also carries significant implications. For the Indian team, the clearest path to the next round is a win against Qatar, which would raise their points tally to eight. However, achieving this would be a colossal challenge given India’s position at 121st in the FIFA rankings compared to Qatar's 34th. Afghanistan could also reach eight points if they secure a victory over Kuwait, but they would need to win by at least eight goals to overcome India’s goal difference—a scenario that is highly improbable. A defeat against Qatar would extinguish India’s chances of advancing, directly relegating them to the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. This would shift their focus from World Cup qualification to continental competition. A draw against Qatar would take India’s points tally to six. In this case, they would need the Kuwait vs Afghanistan match to also end in a draw to maintain their second-place position based on goal difference. A win for either Afghanistan or Kuwait would see them surpass India in the standings, thus taking the second spot. It is important to note that securing a place in the third round of qualifiers would not guarantee India a direct spot in the FIFA World Cup 2026. However, it would provide Igor Stimac's squad multiple chances to qualify, while also ensuring direct entry to the AFC Asian Cup 2027 in Saudi Arabia. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Where to watch Qatar vs India live streaming?" comment="subhead" text="Where to watch Qatar vs India live streaming?">Where to watch <keyword id="8085522" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Qatar-vs-India" source="Orion">Qatar vs India</keyword> live streaming?</cmsannotation> The Qatar vs India football match will kick off at 9:15 PM IST. It won’t be telecast on Indian television, but will be available for live streaming on the FanCode Application. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="India squad for the Qatar game" comment="subhead" text="India squad for the Qatar game">India squad for the Qatar game</cmsannotation> Manager Igor Stimac has readied the following 22-man squad for the crucial clash against Qatar: Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (captain), Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith Defenders: Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta, Mehtab Singh, Narender, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Edmund Lalrindika, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nandhakumar Sekar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Vikram Partap Singh, David Lalhlansanga

India vs Qatar: How can the Sunil Chhetri-less Indian team progress to the third round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers?

Indian footballing icon <keyword id="20013715" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sunil-Chhetri" source="keywords">Sunil Chhetri</keyword> has announced his retirement from <keyword id="21679901" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="international-football" source="keywords">international football</keyword>, marking the end of an illustrious two-decade journey. The revered captain shared the news through a heartfelt video on his social media handles on Thursday. <keyword id="20306461" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chhetri" source="keywords">Chhetri</keyword> will bid his farewell after India's <keyword id="20041016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FIFA-World-Cup" source="keywords">FIFA World Cup</keyword> qualifying match against Kuwait on June 6, taking place in Kolkata—the city where his national team journey commenced 19 years ago in 2005. Reflecting on his decision, Chhetri expressed: “The moment I told myself first, that yes, this is the game that is going to be my last, is when I started recollecting everything. “It was so strange, I started thinking about this game, that game, this coach, that coach, that team, that member, that ground, that away match, this good game, that bad game, all my individual performances, everything came, all the flashes came. So when I did decide that this is it, this is going to be my last game.” <div type="twitter" handle="chetrisunil11" handlename="chetrisunil11" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1790953336901976541"></div> With 94 goals to his name, Sunil Chhetri will retire as India's leading goal scorer and most-capped player. The 39-year-old forward also ranks third among active international goal-scorers worldwide, trailing only football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Chhetri's milestone 150th appearance for India came in March this year, where he found the net against Afghanistan in Guwahati. However, despite his goal, India suffered a 1-2 defeat in that match. Currently positioned second in Group A with four points from four games, India's upcoming clash against Kuwait carries immense significance. A victory is imperative to remain in contention for a spot in the World Cup Qualifiers Round 3, especially considering India faces a tougher test against Qatar in their final group stage encounter. Only the top two teams will advance to the next round.

Sunil Chhetri, who trails only Ronaldo and Messi on international goal-scoring charts, announces retirement

<ul><li>The cricket audience in India is around 612 million and makes up 90% of the country’s sports audience.</li><li>Football too has a 45% share of the sports audience of India, says a report by Ormax.</li><li>Wrestling, Hockey, Badminton, Athletics, Volleyball and Boxing also have over 100 million viewers. </li></ul>India is known for cricket and cricket is known to almost the entirety of the Indian audience. And, why not? Around half of Indians — 612 million — are glued to the 22 players on the field. In a refreshing development, however, a recent report by Ormax indicates that the sports audience in India goes beyond cricket. While cricket does get more than the lion’s share i.e., 90% of the 678 million sports audience, others are gaining ground too. Football audiences have grown to a whopping 305 million in India, which is a 45% share of the total sports viewers. Kabaddi also has garnered around 280 million viewers now. Wrestling or WWE, Hockey, Badminton, Athletics, Volleyball and Boxing — all have over 100 million viewers, says The Ormax Sports Audience Report: 2024. Car racing, with 97 million viewers, almost made the cut. A growing pie The report defines 'Sports Audience’ as someone who watched sports content on TV or OTT in the last year for at least 30 minutes. “With an increase in digital consumption, TV viewership is no longer an accurate way of estimating sports consumption in a large and heterogeneous country like India. This report is a part of our initiative to build industry data using primary audience research across various categories,” said <keyword id="21026798" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shailesh-kapoor" source="keywords">Shailesh Kapoor</keyword>, founder &amp; CEO of Ormax Media. Viacom 18 had bagged the television as well as digital rights to the national cricket team’s bilateral matches. Jio Cinema also streamed Cricket World Cup 2023 for free — increasing the digital viewers of the matches manifold, last year. Franchise with the ‘most recall’ The Ormax report also picked the sports franchises with the most recall. Chennai Super Kings bagged the most recalled franchise in cricket, followed by Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, <keyword id="19905155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajasthan-royals" source="keywords">Rajasthan Royals</keyword>, and Kolkata Knight Riders. In football, the franchise with the most recall was Manchester United. In Kabaddi, Patna Pirates took up the top spot. Cricket, however, does rule the roost when it comes to India’s most favourite sports stars. <keyword id="19907934" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="virat-kohli" source="keywords">Virat Kohli</keyword> is the most popular sportsperson in India, while <keyword id="19899524" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ms-dhoni" source="keywords">MS Dhoni</keyword> is ranked second, despite having retired from professional cricket. <keyword id="19899523" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rohit-sharma" source="keywords">Rohit Sharma</keyword> came in third and <keyword id="19919207" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sachin-tendulkar" source="keywords">Sachin Tendulkar</keyword> came in fifth. The fourth and sixth sports however went to international football stars — Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, respectively. Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra came in seventh, and footballer <keyword id="20013715" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sunil-chhetri" source="keywords">Sunil Chhetri</keyword> came in eighth amongst India’s favourite sports stars.

Not ‘just cricket’, football and kabbadi getting eyeballs too

<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>'s all-important <keyword id="19895131" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FIFA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="FIFA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="FIFA">FIFA</keyword> World Cup Qualifier against <keyword id="20078631" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kuwait" source="keywords">Kuwait</keyword> is inching closer with every day. The West Asians are a familiar side for the Blue Tigers and this is set to be their fourth meeting in less than a year, and without a shadow of a doubt, the most significant one too. For a simple reason - a spot in the third round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers as well as direct qualification for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) <keyword id="20013719" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asian-Cup" source="keywords">Asian Cup</keyword> Saudi Arabia 2027 is on the line. After four matchdays, back-to-back Asian champions Qatar have already sealed their place as table toppers with four wins. But the three remaining contenders for the second and final spot are separated by only one point, leaving open a wide range of possibilities come the last two matchdays on June 6 and 11. Despite India's defeat to Afghanistan in March, they still occupy the second spot with four points. Afghanistan is also on four, but in third place due to their inferior goal difference, while Kuwait is at bottom with three points. India will face Kuwait in Kolkata on June 6 before travelling to Doha to play Qatar on June 11, while Afghanistan will host Qatar in Saudi Arabia on June 6 before going on the road to take on Kuwait on June 11. While the permutations and combinations may seem confusing at first, for India, simply put, a victory on June 6 will put them on the brink of solidifying second place, since it will officially eliminate Kuwait from contention, as per a press release from the All India Football Federation (AIFF). India's goal difference (-3) is also significantly greater than Afghanistan's (-10), and as such, an Indian victory in Kolkata will require the Afghans to notch two miraculous results if they are to downturn the Blue Tigers' advantage. The <keyword id="19919542" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Salt-Lake-Stadium" source="keywords">Salt Lake Stadium</keyword> has been a happy hunting ground for Igor Stimac and his boys as they won all three of their matches in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in June 2022 against Cambodia (2-0), Afghanistan (2-1) and Hong Kong (4-0), respectively. In fact, India has not lost a match at Kolkata's iconic stadium since a 0-3 defeat to Saudi Arabia in the Asian Cup Qualifiers in August 2006. A passionate crowd in a spectacular venue, against an opponent India have enjoyed good results over the last 12 months will be a confidence-booster for the Blue Tigers. While all three meetings with Kuwait were close affairs, Stimac's men came out on top in clutch situations. After a 1-1 draw in the SAFF Championship group stage, they triumphed on penalties following another 1-1 draw in the final to lift their ninth title in July 2023. In November, a Manvir Singh strike helped India eke out a 1-0 win in Kuwait City in the first matchday of the World Cup Qualifiers. That was also the last time India won a match and scored a goal from open play. Since then, the Blue Tigers have been on a six-game winless run. But while their form has dipped and they have dropped to 121st in the FIFA Rankings, Kuwait's recent results have also been poor. They have lost all four of their matches in 2024, including 0-3 (away) and 1-2 (home) against Qatar in the March Qualifiers and friendly defeats to Libya (1-3) and Uganda (0-2) in January. Rui Bento's side have slipped to 139th in the FIFA Rankings. Indian captain <keyword id="20013715" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sunil-chhetri" source="keywords">Sunil Chhetri</keyword>, who will be playing his last game in national colours, admitted that there will be no surprise factor in the game since both teams are well-versed with each other. Kuwait is a side with technically good players who are quick in offence and transitions. Following the conclusion of their domestic season, they announced their 26-man squad earlier this week, with 20 of them hailing from the top three sides of the Kuwait Premier League - Kuwait SC, Al-Arabi SC and Al-Qadsia SC. While Kuwait will be missing their dynamic winger Shabaib Al-Khaldi, who scored in the SAFF final, the other important names to watch out for will be defender Khalid El Ebrahim, midfielders Ahmed Al-Dhefiri, Sultan El-Enezi and Eid Al-Rasheedi, and forward Mobarak Al-Faneeni.

FIFA WC Qualifier: India face Kuwait in a crucial battle on June 6 in Kolkata

New Delhi, Mar 11 () Indian football team captain and star striker <keyword id="99507" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunil-Chhetri">Sunil Chhetri</keyword> on Thursday said he has tested positive for COVID-19, a development that is set to rule him out of the international friendly against Oman on March 25 in Dubai. He is also likely to miss the March 29 friendly against United Arab Emirates at the same venue. The Bengaluru FC star forward took to social media to post the update and said that he is feeling fine. "In a not-so-happy update, I've tested positive for COVID-19. In better news, I feel fine as I continue my recovery from the virus and should be back on a football pitch soon," <keyword id="268788" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chhetri">Chhetri</keyword> wrote on his Twitter handle. "No better time to keep reminding everyone to continue taking all the safety precautions always." The 36-year-old was competing in the <keyword id="1910227" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Super-League">Indian Super League</keyword> (ISL) till last month in Goa in a bio-secure bubble. His campaign got over after Bengaluru FC failed to make the semifinals. The team's last game was on February 25, which Chhetri played and also scored a goal. Bengaluru FC were placed seventh on the table at the end of the league stage. The former champions logged 22 points after winning five matches, drawing seven and losing eight games. Chhetri, the second highest goal scorer in international football among active players, scored eight times in the 20 ISL games this season. As part of the preparation for the two matches against Oman and UAE, the national team is scheduled to assemble for a preparatory camp in Dubai from March 15. India last played an international match in November 2019, in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Afghanistan (in Tajikistan) and Oman (in Muscat). Already out of contention for the second round of World Cup qualifiers, India are scheduled to play two home matches against Asian Champions Qatar and Afghanistan, and an away game against Bangladesh. AH PM PM

Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri tests positive for COVID 19

New Delhi, In wake of the crisis caused by Covid 19 pandemic, <keyword id="57299" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="All-India-Football-Federation">All India Football Federation</keyword> has pledged to contribute Rs 25 lakh to the PM CARES Fund. All India Football Federation President <keyword id="6355497" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="praful-patel">Praful Patel</keyword> said: "The love, care and support from countrymen has provided us motivation all throughout. Hence, now is the time to pay back our country in whatever manner we can. The decision to donate Rs 25 lakh is unanimous. We need to stand together and help each other hoping to overcome the crisis." The AIFF has also directed all employees to work from home from March 14 itself, and all footballing activities under AIFF aegis has also been suspended till further notice. Indian football team captain <keyword id="99507" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunil-Chhetri">Sunil Chhetri</keyword> had said in a tweet on Tuesday that the members of the team have come together and "put on table a sum that has been sent to the PM-Cares Fund" to help in the fight against <keyword id="1754604" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>. Chhetri added that the reason why he is mentioning this on Twitter is so others who have the capacity to make donations are inspired to do so. "We've always received more than we can give. Which is why in this time of need, all of us national team players have come together and put on the table a sum that has been sent to the PM-Cares Fund to help India's fight with the pandemic," said Chhetri in a series of tweets. "It's been heartening to see everyone -- cutting across caps, goals, age and experience -- give, and give with a smile. When word got out, even some who have long stopped pulling on an India shirt, turned up and asked to be counted. That's what a team is all about. "The ONLY reason we're talking about this here is so that it can gently prod those who have been fortunate enough to get, to give back. We're in this together." --IANS bbh/

All India Football Federation pledges to donates ₹25 lakh to PM CARES Fund

<ul><li><keyword id="99507" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunil-Chhetri">Sunil Chhetri</keyword> recently opened his home to a web series for <keyword id="106317" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asian-Paints">Asian Paints</keyword>.</li><li>Chhetri holds the coveted record of being the world’s second highest goal scorer. </li><li>From a home office that displays his awards, to his sports bike that is parked right in the hallway, and an open-island kitchen, here’s a peek into his home. </li></ul>Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri opened his home for a web series by Asian Paints’ called– Where The Heart Is. Chhetri holds the coveted record of being the world’s second highest goal scorer. 
	
	<div type="Slideshow" msid="71313692" hostid="261" title="In Pics: Inside Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri’s Bengaluru home" firstImageMsid="71313693" slideCount="5"></div>

In Pics: Inside Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri’s Bengaluru home

India football captain <keyword id="99507" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sunil-Chhetri">Sunil Chhetri</keyword> has become the biggest earner at the first-ever <keyword id="1910227" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Super-League">Indian Super League</keyword> (ISL) auction in Mumbai on Friday, going to <keyword id="34339" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="mumbai-city">Mumbai City</keyword> FC for Rs 1.20 crore. Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Rino Anto fetched amounts far above their base prices. 

	Chhetri, 31, was bought at Rs 40 lakh above his base price of Rs 80 lakh. The India skipper would play alongside former French international Nicholas Anelka up front, reported PTI. 
 Central midfielder Lyngdoh, among the star performers in last season's I-League for Bengaluru FC, went to <keyword id="34055" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="pune-city">Pune City</keyword> FC for Rs 1.5 crore. The amount was more than three times his base price of Rs 27.5 lakh after six teams were involved in an intense bidding war to get his services. 

	The first two were sold in the first part of the two-stage auction process while defender Anto was successfully bid and bought for Rs 90 lakh by last year's tournament winners Atletico de Kolkata, which was more than five times his base price of Rs 17.5 lakh. 
 

	Meanwhile, Anto had the lowest base prize in the 10-player auction. 
 Midfielder <keyword id="1069688" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Thoi-Singh">Thoi Singh</keyword> also fetched a much higher price, more than twice his base price of Rs 39 lakh. He took part as a free agent, who was sold to Chennayin FC for 86 lakh after an aggressive fight with North East United and Mumbai City. Winger <keyword id="636477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jackichand-Singh">Jackichand Singh</keyword>, of I-League team Royal Wahingdoh, was the first player to be bid for in the auction that saw a hot race featuring four teams and was finally won by Pune City FC with a clinching bid of Rs 45 lakh -- more than twice his base price of Rs 20 lakh. Central medio <keyword id="150589" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Arata-Izumi">Arata Izumi</keyword> (base price Rs 40 lakh) was clinched by ATK for Rs 68 lakh, striker Robin Singh (base price Rs 40 lakh) went to Delhi Dynamos for Rs 51 lakh while winger <keyword id="2728244" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Seityasen-Singh">Seityasen Singh</keyword> (base price Rs 20 lakh) was successfully bid for by North East United for Rs 56 lakh. Defender <keyword id="244211" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Anas-Edathodika">Anas Edathodika</keyword> was bought for Rs 41 lakh, just one lakh above his base price, by Delhi Dynamos in a lukewarm bidding, while Chennayin FC were the lone bidders to buy the services of goalkeeper Karanjeet Singh at his base prize of Rs 60 lakh. 

	Karanjeet had the second-best base prize at the auction. 
	 
	(Image: Indiatimes)

ISL auction: Sunil Chhetri and Eugeneson Lyngdoh are now millionaires

India captain<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/ISL-auction-Sunil-Chhetri-and-Eugeneson-Lyngdoh-are-now-millionaires/articleshow/48019365.cms"> Sunil Chhetri </a>led <keyword id="6360414" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bengaluru-FC">Bengaluru FC</keyword> to a historic<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=AFC+cup&amp;sortorder=effectivedate"> AFC Cup </a>final by scripting an inspiring 3-1 win over defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim with his stunning double strike on Wednesday. 
 <keyword id="6354321" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bengaluru">Bengaluru</keyword> made it to the final by virtue of superior aggregate goal difference of 4-2. The first leg in Malaysia ended in a 1-1 draw. 
 
This is a historic day for Indian football as no club from the country has ever made it to the summit clash of the prestigious second-tier continental tournament. 
 
After the Malaysian team went ahead with Shafiq Rahim's 11th minute goal, Chhetri struck the equaliser in the 41st minute and put the side ahead in the 67th minute. Bengaluru's win was sealed when Spanish defender Juan Antonio Gonzalez Fernandez found the back of the net in the 75th minute. 
 
In front of a packed stadium, the hosts, who trailed 0-1 till the 41st minute, saw their skipper rising to the occasion as he nodded home a Eugenson Lyngdoh flag kick. Chhetri evaded the defence and timed his jump to perfection to bring the 'Blues' back in the match. 
 The significance of this achievement could be gauged by the fact that only two Indian football clubs - <keyword id="57671" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dempo-Sports-Club">Dempo Sports Club</keyword> of Goa and Kolkata giants East Bengal - had made it to the semi-finals of the tournament since its inception.

Bengaluru FC creates history by becoming the first Indian club to reach AFC Cup final

<keyword id="2823" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="akshay-kumar" source="Orion">Akshay Kumar</keyword> and <keyword id="2069863" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bhumi-pednekar" source="Orion">Bhumi Pednekar</keyword>, who will soon share the screen in 'Raksha Bandhan', have been named the Most Beautiful Vegetarian Celebrities of 2021 by <keyword id="139276" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="peta-india" source="Orion">PETA India</keyword>. Bhumi, who also champions the cause of environmental conservation and the climate crisis through her campaign Climate Warrior, became vegetarian over a year ago as for her eating meat just "didn't feel good anymore". For Akshay, "Health matters most" and the actor relies solely on a plant-based diet for protein requirements. The "true-blue animal lover" also makes a point to speak up for animals of all species, and raises awareness around animal cruelty on Twitter. <keyword id="25253" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PETA" source="Orion">PETA</keyword> India Director of Celebrity and Public Relations, <keyword id="1188462" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sachin-Bangera" source="Orion">Sachin Bangera</keyword> said, "From being one of the fittest actors in Bollywood to leading a climate revolution from her dinner table, Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar are showing everyone how easy it is to stay fit and eco-friendly while saving animals. PETA India is recognising them for being beautiful inside and out." Earlier, prominent figures like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, actors Shraddha Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Manushi Chhillar, Anushka Sharma, Kartik Aaryan, Vidyut Jammwal, Shahid Kapoor, Rekha, Amitabh Bachchan and footballer Sunil Chhetri have been conferred with the title, which until 2020 was called the Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity Award. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/these-9-stocks-are-down-as-much-as-15-since-being-the-top-diwali-picks-6-weeks-ago/articleshow/88387967.cms">From ICICI Bank to INOX, these 9 stocks are down as much as 15% since being the top Diwali picks 6 weeks ago</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/with-64-fully-vaccinated-population-israel-enters-fifth-wave-of-covid-19-triggered-by-omicron-variant/articleshow/88386931.cms">Israel faces fifth wave of COVID-19 even though more than half of its population is now vaccinated</a>

Bollywood actors Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar named as PETA's Most Beautiful Vegetarian Celebrities 2021

It was in the early <a href="https://www.the-aiff.com/article/indian-football-down-the-years-looking-back-at-the-glorious-moments">1950s </a>that newly free India went up against Iran on the <keyword id="64" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="football" source="Orion">football</keyword> court in the inaugural Asian Games and bagged its first gold medal. Later, the country participated in the Olympics and other Asian Games, and also formed a team for women in 1980, grabbing many shiny medals along the way. <div type="image" title="India in action at the 1956 Olympics - AIFF" msid="93647037" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;India in action at the 1956 Olympics - AIFF &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> For the first time ever in football’s history, India has been suspended by the International Federation of Association Football (<keyword id="57149" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="fifa" source="Orion">FIFA</keyword>). <keyword id="57299" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="All-India-Football-Federation" source="Orion">All India Football Federation</keyword> (<keyword id="50985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AIFF" source="Orion">AIFF</keyword>) has also been stripped of its right to host the 2022 junior Women's World Cup. The Under-17 Women’s World Cup was scheduled to be held across Odisha, Goa and Maharashtra in October this year. Many first-time participants, who have been training for years, are now feeling uncertain about their future. <div type="image" title="Under-17 Women’s World Cup team" msid="93647050" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Under-17 Women&amp;#8217;s World Cup team&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The ban could still be lifted if a few conditions are met but what led to AIFF’s suspension? Why has FIFA suspended AIFF? The governing body of world football announced the suspension citing the "undue influence from third parties, which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes”. The suspension is effective from August 14, 2022 until further notice, according to a letter from Fatma Samoura, Secretary General, FIFA. This will affect India’s international participation. The troubles began when former AIFF president Praful Patel who was also a FIFA council member, refused to resign from his post as the head of football in the country after his tenure of three years ended in December 2020. Patel is also a member of the Nationalist Congress Party. <div type="image" title="Praful Patel&amp;#39;s tenure ended in December 2020" msid="93647079" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Praful Patel&amp;#39;s tenure ended in December 2020&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> FIFA’s rules state that its member federations must be free from legal and political interference. FIFA’s Article 19 also states that each member association shall manage its affairs independently and without undue influence from third parties. A member association’s bodies shall be either elected or appointed in that association. A member association’s statutes shall provide for a democratic procedure that guarantees the complete independence of the election or appointment. <div type="image" title="Timeline of what led to AIFF’s ban" msid="93647104" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt; Timeline of what led to AIFF&amp;#8217;s ban &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> After Patel’s resistance to resigning, AIFF did not hold fresh elections. The matter then went to the Supreme Court, which announced the immediate resignation of Patel and formed a three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) to run the AIFF and govern the sport. It appointed Justice (retired) Anil R Dave, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Dr S.Y. Quraishi and former India captain Bhaskar Ganguly to the CoA. <div type="image" title="Supreme Court formed a three-member Committee of Administrators" msid="93647115" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Supreme Court formed a three-member Committee of Administrators&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> FIFA directed CoA to get new elections underway, finalise the constitution and present it to FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). India is not the only country India is not the first country to be suspended by FIFA. In 2021, Pakistan Football Federation was banned temporarily due to the same violations. The ban was lifted last month. Zimbabwe, Kenya, Chad, Benin, Kuwait, Nigeria and Iraq have also been at the receiving end of FIFA’s wrath. How will it affect India? Both male and female players won’t be able to participate in international tournaments till the ban is lifted, which includes the 2023 Asian Cup. In June, India’s football team captain Sunil Chhetri said a ban would be “catastrophic” for the country and him. “No matter what is happening on that front, I hope it is under control and the country does not get a ban. Because, that will be catastrophic, not just for the whole country but for me, because I’m 37. I’m playing my last games. You never know when there’s a last game for you,” said Chhetri. Indian professional football club based in Calicut, Gokulam Kerala, has already found itself stranded in Uzbekistan after the FIFA suspension. The team was scheduled to play at the AFC Women's Club Championship. On August 18, SC asked the centre to take a proactive role and ensure that India is able to host the U-17 Women’s World Cup in October. The men’s team is also scheduled to play Singapore and Vietnam in September and India’s participation in SAFF Women's Championship next month also looks uncertain. The suspension has not only dampened the morale of players who have been training for years, but it has also disappointed fans who were looking forward to watching the tournament live. The sport is watched by more than 23 million people, says a recent report by Ormax Media. Will the suspension be lifted? The suspension will be lifted once the AIFF administration regains full control of their daily affairs, which means no CoA. FIFA has also told India to form an independent electoral committee. Till then, as far as Indian footballers are concerned, it’s a wait-and-watch game. Here's a small video <div type="image" title="Why has FIFA banned All India Football Federation?" msid="93647172" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Why has FIFA banned All India Football Federation?&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

Simply put: Why has FIFA banned India and how will it impact India’s football industry?

Some of the big companies in India are keen on buying a team in the Indian Premier League (<keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword>) after the <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> banned Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and <keyword id="13802" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rajasthan-Royals">Rajasthan Royals</keyword> (RR) on Tuesday from participating in the game. 

	This move provides room for the induction of two more teams in the next edition of IPL, reported ToI.
 

	The IPL is the richest of the world's Twenty20 cricket leagues.
 The expected list of names are: Gautam Adani, <keyword id="2742230" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Adani-Group-chairman">Adani group chairman</keyword>, <keyword id="52673" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="harsh-goenka">Harsh Goenka</keyword>, RPG group chairman, Sajjan Jindal, chairman JSW, <keyword id="7025" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Venugopal-Dhoot">Venugopal Dhoot</keyword>, Videocon group chairman, besides others such as Prasad Potluri of South-based PVP Ventures and the Munjals of Hero group. Confirming the development Harsh Goenka told ToI, that honour was restored to the gentleman's game with corruption getting clean bowled by the apex court’s verdict. "The league remains an interesting investment opportunity. If <keyword id="6354756" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="BCCI">BCCI</keyword> auctions a franchise, I will consider it only if the valuations are considerable." 

	Moreover, the valuations of the IPL teams have come down considerably due to a series of corruption. According to experts, the new teams are likely to be bought for less than $100 million.
 Venugopal Dhoot, one of the key sponsors of Mukesh Ambani-owned <keyword id="13880" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Mumbai-Indians">Mumbai Indians</keyword>, is also keen on buying a team. "We will definitely look at bidding for an IPL franchise as and when BCCI calls for bid. We spend crores in branding exercise and owning an IPL team would be a great idea," he said. 

	The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might want to revive the Pune and Kochi teams. However, launching a new team for Ahmedabad may not be ruled out, according to sources. 
 

	In that case Gautam Adani may be a key contender to buy the Ahmedabad team as the billionaire businessman had once dreamt of owning an IPL team for his home state. 
 "The idea of having an Ahmedabad team would be great as it would draw lots of interest from corporates for being the home state of Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>," said an industry leader. 

	Sajjan Jindal is another top contender to own an IPL team. "Cricket is the number one sport in our country so there is an idea to acquire a team... an IPL team. But, I cannot comment which team would it be," Jindal, JSW group chairman said earlier this month.
 He did not confirm or deny if he wanted to buy <keyword id="12643" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers">Royal Challengers</keyword> Bangalore (RCB), owned by liquor baron <keyword id="14678" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Vijay-Mallya">Vijay Mallya</keyword>. 

	JSW Sports, a JSW Group owned firm, is the owner of Bengaluru FC, one of the I-league teams led by Indian football team's captain Sunil Chhetri.
 Potluri Vara Prasad might again try his luck this time after he failed to buy <keyword id="1336250" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Deccan-Charger">Deccan Charger</keyword> in 2012, industry sources said. 
	 
	(Image: Reuters)

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Simply put: Why has FIFA banned India and how will it impact India’s football industry?

Somebody's loss is somebody's gain! India Inc biggies eye IPL team after ban on CSK, RR

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