Uttarakhand State Football Association has failed to conduct the state league. The AIFF has, surprisingly, granted entry to a Futsal club in the national league in 2024

Navneet Singh

At a time when Indian football is making headlines for its downslide, it is worth taking a look at how poorly the game is being managed at the grassroots. Take Uttarakhand, for instance. Just four months ago, the state’s men’s team had an impressive run at the National Games held on home turf, reaching the final and claiming the silver medal. However, the state players will not be able to compete in I-League Division 3 due to the apathy of the Uttarakhand State Football Association (USFA), which has failed to conduct the state league within the stipulated time frame. 

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) had set June 6 as the deadline for state associations to hold their respective leagues.

As a result, several Uttarakhand players who were hoping to showcase their talent on the national stage have been denied the opportunity. “All the effort the players put in during the National Games will go to waste. They won’t get a chance to build on that legacy,” lamented a former national-level player from Uttarakhand.

“Uttarakhand football has been in a state of slumber for a long time, and the administrators are to blame for such poor management. They are playing with the careers of young players,” the former player added.

Several coaches and players contacted by Sportsbackstory.com echoed similar sentiments.

“The Uttarakhand association was formed over two decades ago, but we have never seen a proper state football league being held,” said one coach, who requested anonymity.

Aktar Ali, Secretary General of the Uttarakhand State Football Association, did not respond to calls or text messages from Sportsbackstory.com.

While the 2024 edition of the state league was not organized, Corbett Football Club — winner of the National Futsal Championship — was surprisingly granted entry into I-League 3 by AIFF on the basis of their futsal success.

“We requested the national governing body (AIFF) to allow our club to participate since no state league was held in 2024,” said one of the officials of Corbett FC. It is not a normal practice to give entry to National Futsal champion to compete in I-League 3.

Corbett FC participated in the 2024 I-League 3 but failed to finish in the top six. The club, based in Rudrapur (Uttarakhand), was established in March 2020 and currently has 20 registered players.

I-League 3, which features 25 teams, serves as a qualifier for the I-League 2. The top two teams earn promotion to the second division.

Clubs for I-League 3 are usually nominated or recommended by state units based on their performance in state leagues. Subhash Arora, owner of Corbett FC however, declined to comment on the non-functioning of the state football body.

“This season (2025), no state football league was held before the June 6 deadline,” he told Sportsbackstory.com in a phone interview from Uttarakhand.

An AIFF circular, signed by Secretary General P. Anil Kumar, had fixed June 6, 2025, as the final date for conducting state leagues.

“The deadline for IWL 2, I-League, Men’s Futsal Club Championships, and Youth Leagues (sub-junior, junior, and U-17 elite) is June 6, 2025,” the circular stated.

It also outlined the minimum criteria for state leagues. For instance, the IWL 2 competition must include at least six teams, each playing a minimum of 10 matches of 90 minutes each.

“Uttarakhand State Football Association generally do not follow AIFF guidelines,” said Raju Gusain, a sports activist from Uttarakhand. “In February, the Uttarakhand men’s football team won silver at the 2025 National Games. Four months later, there is no sign of a state league. Does that not raise questions about the authenticity of the National Games performance?”

Uttarakhand has produced several international players in the past, including India’s midfielder Anirudh Thapa. However, most talented footballers from the state have had to move elsewhere due to the absence of a competitive structure at home.

Thapa was selected for a football academy in Chandigarh during his formative years. Since then, he has never looked back. “Players from Uttarakhand who have succeeded have done so through their own hard work. The Uttarakhand State Football Association had nothing to do with the performance of individual players,” Gusain added.