Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Bengaluru FC are among three clubs to have been disqualified from the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) age-group tournaments for fielding over-aged players. Bengaluru-based I-League second division team Ozone FC and Jammu United FC have also been suspended for the same.
While Bengaluru FC was found guilty of age fudging in the U13 Youth League, Ozone FC and Jammu United committed the offence in the U15 Youth League.
The AIFF found that one player from the Bengaluru FC U13 team was over-aged while Ozone FC U15 team also had a player who was over-aged. Jammu United U15 side had two players who did not satisfy the eligibility criteria.
Ankith P (Bengaluru FC U13 team), Akash Chander Jadhav (Ozone FC U15 team) and Rohit Yadav and Shreyan Dev Singh (Jammu United U15 team) were the players suspended.
As a result, the Indian FA's Disciplinary Committee has decided to ban the players in question from participating in any AIFF-conducted tournament for 12 months while the clubs have been disqualified from the tournaments in question.
It is not the first time that a major club has been found guilty of age fudging, with Mohun Bagan's U18 team was banned last season from the U18 Youth League for fielding an ineligible player.
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