Articles by Sudipta Biswas

Sports

Big Boost for Blue Tigers: Ryan Williams Joins Indian Football Camp in Bengaluru

In a significant moment for Indian football, forward Ryan Williams - who recently gave up his Australian passport to embrace Indian citizenship - has officially joined the Khalid Jamil-coached national camp in Bengaluru, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) confirmed on Sunday. The 32-year-old Perth-born attacker arrived at the camp alongside defender Jay Gupta, marking his first official involvement with the Indian national team setup. “Forward Ryan Williams, and defender Jay Gupta have joined the senior men’s national team camp in Bengaluru,” the AIFF posted on X. In what could mark a new beginning for Indian football, the game’s national federation, AIFF, earlier this week roped in two overseas-based players—Williams and Abneet Bharti—for the national camp ahead of the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka on November 18. The move reflects a bold shift in approach by the beleaguered federation, opening the door for Indian-origin players and those willing to give up foreign citizenship to represent the country. The camp began in Bengaluru on Thursday. Williams’ Indian citizenship handover ceremony was conducted by legendary Sunil Chhetri at the training facility of Bengaluru FC, the club he plays for in the Indian Super League (ISL). “Honoured to make official what’s long felt true. Grateful for the love, the opportunity, and the sense of belonging this country has given me. As you can see, the last round of interviews was the hardest. India, I’m one of your own!” Williams had earlier said in an Instagram post. Williams’ mother was born in Mumbai while his father was born in Kent, England. This is only the second instance of an Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) becoming eligible to play for the Indian football team. He has played for Australia’s U-20 and U-23 teams, and also represented the senior team as a second-half substitute during a friendly in 2019, against South Korea. Williams has also represented English clubs Fulham and Portsmouth, before joining ISL side Bengaluru FC in 2023. Before Williams, Japan-born Izumi Arata took Indian citizenship to represent India in 2012, and featured in nine matches for the Blue Tigers in 2013 and 2014. With PTI inputs

Sports

AIFF Reviews ISL Proposal After League Fails to Attract a Single Bid

After finding no takers for the Indian Super League (ISL), with no bidders willing to meet the federation's terms and conditions, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Sunday said that Bid Evaluation Committee Chairperson Justice (Retd.) Nageswara Rao will submit his report to the Supreme Court after not a single bid was received for the ISL’s commercial rights. The AIFF on Friday announced that it had not received any bid for the commercial rights of the already-delayed ISL, leaving the future of the country's domestic football in disarray. The other two members of the Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC) are AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey and Kesvaran Murugasu of the Asian Football Confederation as an independent member. "The Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC) of the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) held a meeting on Sunday, November 9, 2025 to review and discuss the status of the 'Request for Proposal' for awarding the right to monetise the commercial rights belonging to the AIFF for a limited period," the AIFF statement said. "Following the deliberations of the committee, the chairperson of the BEC, Justice (Retd) Nageswara Rao, will submit his report to the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India as the next step in the process." The bid process is being supervised by the Supreme Court and Justice Rao was appointed on the orders of the apex court. The continued uncertainty over the much-delayed ISL has led to a few clubs, including Mohun Bagan Super Giant, to suspend all their football activities indefinitely. The reigning ISL champions Mohun Bagan have even stated that they will review contracts of players and support staff next month. The AIFF had floated the Request for Proposals on October 16 for a 15-year contract to monetise the league’s commercial rights. The submission deadline was November 7. With PTI inputs