New Delhi, June 15 : Bengaluru FC, FC Goa, Dempo SC, FC Madras, Mizoram FA & RF Young Champs have come up with an open letter to the stakeholders of Indian Football. The open letter condemns age fraud in Indian football, highlighting its negative impact on safety, fairness, and the sport's growth. It calls for an amnesty scheme and stricter penalties for adults responsible for age falsification.

'It is important to acknowledge that Age Fraud is never the fault of the children. No child wakes up in the morning and decides to fudge their documents to gain an unfair advantage. It is a collective failure of the system and primarily the adults involved - the coaches, administrators, and, unfortunately in some rare cases, the parents.'

'Age Fraud brings with it a litany of problems that affect the football ecosystem. To begin with, allowing physically mature, older players to compete against younger, correctly aged children poses significant safety risks. The disparity in physical maturity can and has led to severe injuries, endangering the well-being of younger honest children. This is unacceptable,' read the statement posted on social media.

The undersigned pledge to promote transparency through thorough age verification, honest tournament, and anti-fraud advocacy, urging all stakeholders to unite against this issue for the future of Indian Football.

"To address this pervasive issue, our appeal to the AIFF is to institute an amnesty scheme akin to what the Badminton Federation of India has successfully implemented. This will help clean up the current system and build a more honest, transparent, and fair foundation for the future of Indian football."

"After the amnesty scheme window closes, there must be severe consequences, especially for adults responsible, who are found to still indulge in this fraudulent practice. Accountability is crucial to ensure that the system remains clean and fair for everyone involved," added the statement.

/IANS