TEAM HERALD
sports@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Players’ Status Committee of All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Wednesday initiated punitive action against Jovel Martins as per the AIFF Player Status Regulations Article 21 as the committee unanimously felt there was a breach of contract by the player.
The Players Status panel discussed the breach of contract of Jovel in detail and decided to impose a fine of Rs 1 lakh, to be paid annually to Pune Football Club, for three years commencing from 2013-14 season.
Martins it may be recalled had signed a deal with Pune FC only to breach the protocol and renew his contract with Sporting Clube de Goa.
MP Swamy chaired the Players Status meeting where Raju Gaikwad’s payment issues with East Bengal and the non-payment of salaries of Mohun Bagan and Churchill Brothers to their players, were also taken up for discussion at the AIFF Headquarters in Football House, New Delhi.
As far as the two players of Churchill Brothers in question — Sandip Nandy and Steven Dias — are concerned, the AIFF committee asked the players to submit documentary evidence of salaries received by them and the dues to be paid by the club.
If no reply is received from the players within 10 days from the date of this meeting, it will be assumed that the players are not interested in pursuing the matter thereby resulting in the case being closed.
With regards to the East Bengal’s player and India International Raju Gaikwad, the committee after going through the letters submitted by Gaikwad and East Bengal, decided that the time period of two weeks will be given to the player to submit documentary evidence of salaries received by him and subsequently the dues to him by the club for the season 2012-13 and 2013-14.
On receipt of the same, AIFF will then forward the claim made by the player to Kingfisher East Bengal to clear off the payments if proved right.
Further, as per the decision of the last meeting of Players’ Status Committee held on September 13, 2013, the detailed statement of accounts has been received from Biswajit Saha, NP Pradeep, Khelemba Meetei, Mainish Maithani, Arindam Bhattacharya, Rakesh Masih and Jewel Raja.
The same will be forwarded to McDowell Mohun Bagan to clear off the dues on or before December 31, 2013 since it is assumed that McDowell Mohun Bagan have accepted the dues as they have not produced their statement of dues to the players within the stipulated time as decided in the last committee meeting.
The other members present were Welvin Menezes, Dilip Chakroborty, Tamal Mukherjee while representatives from the concerned clubs were Chirag Tanna from Pune FC, and Victor Fernandes from Sporting Clube de Goa.
