AIFF plans to hire 50 professional referees at a monthly salary of Rs 80,000
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is preparing to appoint 50 referees on contract basis and pay them a ‘good’ amount as monthly salary, with an aim to raise the standard of refereeing in the country. It is the AIFF’s effort that the referees do not have to resort to any other work for their livelihood. AIFF President Kalyan Choubey said the standard of refereeing can be improved only if the Indian referee can earn enough to support his family and take up this profession as a full-time job.
Foreign coaches of Indian Super League teams have been critical of Indian referees for their “errors”. Choubey told PTI on Tuesday, “There have been complaints related to wrong decision of referees in big tournaments like ISL, I-League or Santosh Trophy. This affects the performance of the teams. A referee gets 2500 to 5000 rupees in state league and 8000 to 10,000 rupees in national league.It amounts to Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh annually, which is too little to sustain a livelihood. ,
“We have decided to resolve the issue that 50 referees will be appointed and each of them will be given a salary of Rs 50,000 to Rs 80,000 per month, which is for a referee to meet his family expenses,” he said. That would be enough,” he said, adding that the referees can focus solely on their work if that happens.
