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All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey, on Wednesday, condemned the attack on a match official during the Turkish Super Lig game, earlier this week, saying that such acts should be dealt with more strictly.
Turkish Super Lig referee Halil Umut Meler was punched by Ankaragucu's president Faruk Koca after he stormed onto the pitch following his side's draw with Rizespor on Monday. Talking about the incident, Chaubey was quoted in an AIFF release as saying, "The AIFF condemns the recent attack on match official Halil Umut Meler in recent days after a Turkish Super Lig game. This despicable assault cannot be tolerated at any level of football, irrespective of any perceived performance standards." On the possible influence of such incidents in India as well as elsewhere in the footballing world, the AIFF chief said, "As we try to grow the beautiful game in India and encourage the youth to enter the profession of refereeing, such incidents must be prevented at all costs. These incidents not only destroy the reputation of the game but also highlight the general disrespect towards those who serve it. I would like to request everyone involved in our game to respect and safeguard match officials on all occasions." (ANI)
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