Kolkata: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has proposed a name change to Football Federation of Bharat, which was accepted at a special general body meeting. If approved, India football teams will be known as the national teams of Bharat.
AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey stated that the name Bharat has been used at international summits and traditionally represents India, making it a fitting choice for Indian football.
The federation will now approach the Union sports ministry for approval, followed by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Additionally, AIFF has accepted Chaubey's suggestion to play 'Jana Gana Mana' and 'Vande Mataram' before matches.
The meeting also approved changes to the Asian quota in foreigners for the Indian Super League (ISL) and Indian Football League (IFL), allowing for an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) player instead of four foreigners. Furthermore, it made it mandatory to have an Indian striker on the pitch throughout an ISL and IFL game.
AIFF's revised constitution, prepared in May to align with the National Sports Governance Act 2025, was also approved at the meeting.
