'Security is of Utmost Importance': AIFF Secretary M Satyanarayan Reveals Reason for Accepting Decision to Share SAFF U19 Women's Championship Title

In an unprecedented event, India and Bangladesh shared the title of the recently concluded SAFF U19 Women’s Championship in Bangladesh on Thursday.

The match was tied at 1-1 at the end of regulation time and the game moved to penalties to decide the winner of the tournament. Both sides managed to convert all 11 of their spot kicks before the referee called both captains for a coin toss to decide the fate of the game.

The toss swung the way of the Indian girls, who thought they had won the tournament, but following a prolonged delay of about an hour, the referee decided that the teams would share the honours.

This resulted in a hitherto unforeseen event as the skippers of both the Indian and the Bangladesh women’s sides lifted the trophy together.

Following the groundbreaking decision, AIFF acting secretary M Satyanarayan revealed that the officials’ decision to share the trophy was a result of the simmering situation at the stadium in Bangladesh following the gruelling game.

He added that there was a section of fans in the home crowd who were creating a ruckus and that the safety and security of the players took precedence.

“Despite being declared winners after the spin of the coin, we decided to accept the officials’ request for sharing the trophy as the situation was simmering and a section of the home fans was creating disturbances,” Satyanarayan said.

“Since the security of the players and other team officials is our utmost priority, the AIFF decided to agree to the request of the organisers,” he added.

The acting secretary also stated that the AIFF will wait for a thorough report on the game from the head coach and his staff before deciding if a formal protest needs to be launched.

“With regards to a formal protest, we will wait for a thorough report from our team manager and head coach on their return, before we take a call on the matter,”

FIFA and AFC match commissioner Arunava Bhattacharya, who was also present at the game albeit not in an official capacity, stated that he would not pass a comment on the game in any official manner, but opined that the penalty shootout should have continued until we had a winner.

“I cannot comment on the match in any official capacity. However, as per rules, penalties/sudden death should continue till there is a result,” Bhattacharya said.