UPFS secretary in soup after controversial remark against female player

The man in the dock was previously the accused in a molestation case filed by a minor.

In the latest controversy surrounding the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the deputy chairman of audit and finances allegedly wrote negative remarks on the certificate of a senior women’s national level player.

Mohd. Shamsuddin, who is also the secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Football Sangh (UPFS)- an affiliated unit of the AIFF, reportedly wrote a negative comment on the certificate of Varsha Rani, which was issued by the AIFF itself.

It was the certificate issued with the interest of the player, citing her participation in a national level tournament. ‘Very poor performance’ were the exact words which Shamsuddin used before signing off the certificate.

The certification in question consisted of a negative remark

After the incident, Varsha raised her voice against the secretary accusing him of targeted harassment. “I was asked to come alone to collect my certificate of participation. When I reached Shamsuddin’s place with my parents, my father was scolded at and given the certificate only after the submission of an affidavit seeking an apology.”

The forward went on to add, “Even before the nationals, I was humiliated and harassed by people close to Shamsuddin during the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Memorial State Championship in Gonda.”

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“Almost all the girls in the team were asked to humiliate me in public. I tried to raise my voice but everyone told me to compromise with the system as it is happening for the last many years.”

Asked about an explanation regarding the matter, Shamsuddin defended himself saying, “There has to be some punishment for poor performance. So I wrote on the certificates of the players.”

“Some girls in the team were playing politics and intentionally lost the match. I had no option but to put my comment on the certificates of the entire team.”

Interestingly, Shamsuddin has a previous record of molestation of a female footballer and has also been behind the bars in Varanasi before being released on bail.

In the wake of the incident, the AIFF demanded an explanation from the unit and is awaiting their response. “The participation certificate is issued by AIFF and nobody has the right to put any comment on it,” asserted General Secretary Kushal Das, even as the accused Shamsuddin shares the opposite view.