Mizoram Football Association launches Amnesty Programme to combat age fraud

The Mizoram Football Association (MFA) launched a new mechanism on Monday to address the prevalent issue of age fraud in football by introducing an Amnesty Programme.

This programme is designed to forgive players with falsified age-related documentation, aiming to promote fair play and inclusivity in the sport.  

Ensuring fair play

The MFA's fight against age fraud began before the 2023-24 season.

The state association mandated that all players participating in MFA-organized age-group competitions should produce a digital birth certificate matching their date of birth on the AIFF Centralized Registration System (CRS).

This measure aimed to raise awareness about the accurate date of birth registration but also unintentionally prevented some players from competing.

Recognizing the importance of inclusivity and fearing less development of young footballers, the MFA has implemented the Amnesty Programme.

Effective immediately, players with discrepancies between their CRS DOB and documented birth date can voluntarily disclose the error and submit a government-issued digital birth certificate.

The MFA will allow them to participate in age-group competitions corresponding to their corrected DOB while maintaining confidentiality regarding the disclosure.

Advocating change at AIFF level

However, the MFA acknowledged that this solution is temporary. The selection for the Mizoram State Team for the AIFF age-group National Football Championships (NFCs) will still be based on the AIFF CRS. AIFF competitions utilize the AIFF Competition Management System (CMS), which integrates with the CRS.

The MFA emphasized its commitment to eradicating age fraud, calling it a violation of fair play and equal opportunity.

The association urged the AIFF, state and district FAs, clubs, academies, coaches, players, guardians, and parents to recognize the problem and take proactive measures to combat it.

The MFA previously proposed a Voluntary Disclosure for Age Fraud programme at the AIFF's 2024 Annual General Body Meeting, mirroring successful initiatives by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Badminton Association of India (BAI). However, the proposal has yet to receive a response.

The Mizoram Football Association's stance highlighted the complex issue of age fraud in Indian football. While the Amnesty Programme offers an opportunity to affected players within their jurisdiction, a permanent solution hinges on reform at the AIFF level.

The MFA's call for collaboration emphasizes the need for a united effort to safeguard the integrity and future of Indian football.