The Delhi High Court has asked the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to convene a meeting of its medical committee and give Anwar Ali a fair hearing.

Anwar has been diagnosed with a rare condition known as apical hypercardio myopathy (HCM). The diagnosis was made last year when he moved from Indian Arrows to Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League (ISL).

The defender who played every minute of India’s campaign in the Fifa U-17 World Cup 2017 joined Mohammedan Sporting last month but was stopped by AIFF from training on September 7. He has since taken the federation to court over his right to play.

“The judge said it’s a prima facie opinion. It should go back to the (medical) committee. The committee will decide. Anwar has the liberty to bring all the video evidence, testimonies, reports of any doctor who has cleared him to play,” Anwar’s lawyer, Amitabh Tewari, told TOI on Thursday.

The AIFF is expected to convene a meeting of its medical committee led by Dr Vece Paes next week. Anwar had first refused to attend the hearing after being provided with a four-hour notice. The AIFF later asked him to choose a date and time for the hearing which he ignored.

“The AIFF has to convene a meeting before October 11 and give Anwar a fair hearing. The committee has to consider the evidence he produces and then take a decision,” said Tewari.

The 20-year-old defender who played every minute of India’s campaign at the Fifa U-17 World Cup 2017 has joined Mohammedan Sporting but it was not clear whether he would have any role to play in the upcoming I-League qualifiers to be played between October 8 and October 19.

Anwar wanted to join the bio-secure bubble and start training so that he does not lag behind, if the medical committee gives the go ahead. However, the court has left that decision to his club.

“We said if we are cleared to play, it will be difficult to enter the bio-bubble again. The court has no issues; that is between the player and the club. If the club feels, he can come back,” said Tewari.

Asked if Anwar can start training with Mohammedan Sporting, his lawyer said although the order – not public yet – was open to interpretation, it wouldn’t be “advisable.”

Source Link

Picture Source :