ISL
ISL 2020-21: AIFF clears Kerala Blasters of wrongdoing in Nongdamba Naorem transfer
Nongdamba Naorem's transfer from Kerala Blasters to ATK Mohun Bagan has been validated by the AIFF's Player Status Committee.
Nongdamba Naorem (Source: ISL)
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player Status Committee (PSC) has passed its final verdict regarding the dispute of Nongdamba Naorem's transfer to ATK Mohun Bagan from fellow Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Kerala Blasters. The governing body has decided that the player's transfer was valid and in conformance with all the existing terms and conditions. The PSC also observed that the player was completely fit to play at the time of transfer to ATK Mohun Bagan.
For the uninitiated, Nongdamba Naorem was loaned to the Kolkata giants by the Tuskers in late December last year with Subha Ghosh intended to be going in the other direction. Following this, Naorem failed a medical test after it was revealed that he had a ligament injury. The Mariners then moved to claim that Naorem's transfer was void with a subtle allegation of foul-play on Kerala Blasters' part. Although the two transfers were separate deals on paper, this also jeopardized Ghosh's move and the youngster had to wait till the third week of February to obtain the required clearance from the PSC.
And now, the Naorem deal has finally been validated by the AIFF. Speaking about the recent development, the Director of Football for Kerala Blasters, Mohammed Rafik said, "We have always followed the rules and regulations that pertain to the club and our players. We would never make unethical moves regarding the team or the player transfer. The management supports and takes the responsibility of all the team members and ensures that our players are always our priority. We would like to give our best wishes to Nongdamba Naorem for his future prospects".
The most unfortunate yet intriguing transfer saga of the season thus ends.
