Kolkata, Nov 29 (IANS) The All India Football Federation (AIFF) Sunday suspended Dempo Sports Club players Sameer Naik and Mahesh Gawli for staying away from the national camp and named Sunando Dhar as the Chief Executive Officer of the I-League.
Briefing mediapersons after the AIFF’s emergency committee meeting here, its president Praful Patel said the Federation Cup would begin from Guwahati Dec 20.

On Naik and Gawli, the committee decided to refer the matter to the disciplinary committee for further action.

The duo had skipped the recent national camp in Goa, citing injury, on instruction from Dempo.

“Before the Federation Cup, the disciplinary committee will sit together and take a decision on whether to initiate action against Dempo and the two footballers. In the meantime, Naik and Gawli will not take part in any football action,” Patel said.

The Federation Cup, earlier slated for Dec 15, has been deferred by five days, and would continue till Jan 3 next year.

The I-League CEO Dhar, top official of Leisure Sports Management, was one of the three candidates - other two being current AIFF competition director Anil Kamat and former Mahindra coach Harish Rao - who had appeared for the interview for the coveted post of the fancied league.

Patel said the national camp for the Asia Cup will start in June next year and continue till the tournament begins in January 2011.

“We will release the names of the panel of footballers for the national camp in January next year,” he said.

The AIFF chief also met the officials of city’s leading clubs East Bengal and Mohun Bagan besides holding a meeting with Indian Football Association secretary Utpal Ganguly.

Patel said the AIFF would set up a football academy either at Kalyani or at Burdwan and also help the IFA soccer academy at Haldia.