I-League second division club Mohammedan Sporting have distanced themselves from Anwar Ali’s criticism of the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF).

The young defender, who has been temporarily sidelined from professional football due to a heart condition, had earlier submitted a plea with the AIFF, seeking a hearing to contest his case and explain why he should be allowed to play despite being diagnosed with congenital heart disease.

The player then chose not to appear before the AIFF’s (All India Football Federation) Sports Medical Committee on Saturday and has moved the Delhi high court against the AIFF’s decision.

With the I-League qualifiers set to kick-off on October 8, 2020, in West Bengal, Mohammedan Sporting have decided to issue a statement to explain their stance on the matter. 

The statement in full: 

The AIFF’s Emergency Committee is expected to take a final call soon on whether Anwar will be allowed to play competitive football in India or not. But it is likely that the Emergency Committee will stick to the advisory provided by the in-house medical committee and AFC’s chief medical officer.

AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Medical Committee Chairman, Dr Dato Gurucharan Singh, had earlier stated that it would be best for Anwar Ali to refrain from participating in competitive sports due to his ‘congenital heart condition.

He was found to be suffering from left apical ventricular hypertrophy which constituted a significant health risk for the player, as per numerous reports.

In a report submitted to the AIFF (All India Football Federation), Dato Gurucharan Singh had mentioned four key messages which substantiate that playing football professionally constitutes a health risk for the youngster who had represented India at the 2017 U17 World Cup.