Air India

Full name	Air India Football Club
Nickname	The Pilots
Founded	1952; 73 years ago (1952)
Ground	Cooperage Ground
Capacity	5,000
Owner	Air India Limited
Head coach	Godfrey Pereira
League	MFA Elite Corporate League
2022–23	Champions
Home colours Away colours

Air India Football Club is afootball section of the same-named Indian institutionalmulti-sports club.^[1][2][3][4] Founded by Anand Prajapati in 1952,^[5] the club is based inMumbai,Maharashtra.^[6][7][8] Sponsored byAir India,^[9] the club previously played in theMumbai Football League, and now in the MFA Elite Corporate League.^[10][11][12]

The club previously competed in theI-League,^{[13][14][15][16]} then top tier ofIndian football league system.^[17][18] As multiple champions in various Mumbai competitions, Air India is best known for nurturing youngsters into big time players. Many of these boys have played with distinction for bigger teams in the later years.^[19]

In 2005, the team qualified to the National Football League first division, and then 2007 saw Air India finishing 7th and were the Mumbai Harwood Champions in 2005.^[20] Considered as one of the "giant killers" in Indian leagues,^[21] Air India also appeared in corporate tournaments such as the All India Public Sector League, and ONGC Trophy.^[22][23]

Founded in 1952 in Bombay, Air India Football Club is one of the oldest institutional sides in the country.^[24][25] Since then, they became affiliated withWestern India Football Association (WIFA). Though never considered as frontrunners in the I-League, the Mumbai-based club has often proved to be a thorn in the flesh for many top sides.

Since their inception, Air India became a member of WIFA and later in 1983, became affiliated withMumbai District Football Association (formerly BDFA).^[26] Nicknamed "the pilots",^[27] Air India participated in later editions ofBombay Harwood League alongside Maharashtra Football League.^[28][29]

They participated in B.D.F.A League, andW.I.F.A. Super Division from 1990 to 1999 and clinched WIFA title in 1999.^[30]

Air India also participated inMDFA Elite Division,^[31] and lifted trophies in 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2016–17 season.^[32] They also won Harwood league in 2000 and 2005.

They used to play in theNFL 2nd Division but got promoted toPremier Division and have maintained their position there until the formation ofI-League.^{[33][34][35][36]} Generally a low budget side, Air India's best finish in the National Football League came in the 1997–1998 season, when they were placed sixth in the table and their coachBimal Ghosh received the Best coach award.^[37]

Air India had been playing in the Premier Harwood League since 1980. Though it, they qualified for theNational Football League in 1995. In the first season of NFL 1996, they finished 6th on the table^[38] and then 5th in 1997. After being relegated to the second division in 1998, Air India paved their way back into the first division the next year and played in the National Football League in 2000 as well. The years 2001 to 2004 saw Air India going through a tough phase as they were playing in the second division.^[39] In 2005 the team qualified to the National Football League first division and then 2007 saw Air India finishing 7th and were the Mumbai Harwood Champions in 2005.^[40][20] In 1996, they emerged as the champions ofSikkim Governor's Gold Cup and they lifted the trophy again in 2006.^[41][42] The club also hosted an inter-club tournament named "Air-India Millenium Cup" at the Air-India Colony Grounds, in Kalina, Mumbai, from 2000 to 2005 – in which they clinched title on four occasions.^[43]

Air India became part of theI-League since theinaugural edition.^[44] In 2008, they created history by winning the E. K. Nayanar Gold Cup, defeating three visiting foreign teams,Associação Ferroviária de Esportes ofBrazil,Bayelsa FC ofNigeria andBuenos Aires De Futbal ofArgentina.^[45][46][47] Interestingly Bayelsa wonNigerian Professional Football League and reached semi-finals ofAfrican Confederations Cup once.^[45] Other thanMohun Bagan A.C. (1911IFA Shield) andEast Bengal FC (ASEAN Club Championship), no otherIndian club has defeated so many foreign teams to win a single tournament.^[45][48]

In2012 Durand Cup,^[49][50] the club emerged as the champions, which was their last trophy.^[51][52] On 25 February 2012, it was announced that parent companyAir India do not have any plans on fulfilling the AFC Criteria required to play in the league and thus may fold the club by the end of the2011–12 I-League season.^[53][54][55] Anthony Fernandes was appointed as interim head coach on 30 December 2012 afterGodfrey Pereira was revealed to be away from the team due to salary issues.^[56][57] On 2 January 2013, it was confirmed that Pereira had left his post, when Air India played againstSalgaocar atDuler Stadium in I-League in which, and lost the match 4–0.^[58] They came back to I-League, participating in the2012–13 I-League season.^[59] On 7 April 2013, they played againstMumbai F.C. and lost 3–1.^[60] They earned 26 points in 19 league matches and finished on thirteenth position.^[61]

The club later confirmed their inability to field team for the2013–14 I-League,^[62] and financial reasons were main factors behind it.^[63][64]

Air India has sometimes used a crest different from the logo of the parent company. For the2011–12 season, however, they used the parent logo on both the home and away jersey.^[65]

To keep up the image, they decided to make the main colour of the club red, as associated with the company.^[53]

Air India has been mostly playing at theCooperage Ground in Mumbai.^{[66][67][68][69][70]} Between 2007 and 2013, the club hosted home games of the I-League at the ground.^{[71][72][73][74]} While renovations took place, Air India played at theBalewadi Sports Complex inPune.^[75]

During the2010–11 I-League season,Rajarshi Shahu Stadium inKolhapur hosted numerous matches of Mumbai teams due to unavailability of Cooperage Ground. Air India played its home games at this ground throughout the season.^[76]

Air India had a rivalry with their fellow Mumbai-based clubMahindra United, with whom they played in local derby matches in both the NFL and MDFA Elite League.^{[77][78][79][80][81][82]}

As a corporate sporting entity since its inception,^[83] Air India Football Club has been owned and run by airline company Air India which currently own a hub at Mumbai'sChhatrapati Shivaji International Airport which is where the club is located.^[24]

Picture	Name	Nationality	From	To	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Win%	Honours
	Bimal Ghosh	India	2008[37]	2009	22	5	9	8	21	26	022.73
	Yusif Ansari	India	2009[84]	June 2010	26	7	7	12	28	46	026.92
	Santosh Kashyap	India	August 2010[85]	26 May 2012	52	14	14	24	54	94	026.92
	Godfrey Pereira	India	3 July 2012[86]	27 December 2012[87]	17	7	3	7	25	27	041.18	2012 Durand Cup
	Anthony Fernandes	India	30 December 2012[88]	2 March 2013	7	1	4	2	8	14	014.29
	Naushad Moosa	India	2 March 2013[89]	2013	0	0	0	0	0	0	!—

• The players below, hadsenior/youth international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed represented their countries before or after playing forAir India FC.
• Khalid Jamil (1998–2001)^[90]
• Steven Dias (2001–2003)^[91][92]
• Gorka Guarrotxena Menárguez (2003–2005)^{[citation needed]}
• Nirmal Chettri (2006–2008)^[93]
• Mujtaba Faiz (2012–2013)^[94]
• Rahul Bheke (2011–2013)^[95][96][97]
• Raynier Fernandes (2014–2016)^[98]

• National Football League 2nd Division
  • Champions (1): 1999–00^[99]
  • Runners-up (1): 2004–05
  • Third place (1): 2001–02^[100]
• Durand Cup
  • Champions (1):2012^[101][102]
• Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup
  • Champions (2): 1996,^[103] 2006^[104]
  • Runners-up (2): 2000, 2003^[105]
• Mumbai Harwood League/MDFA Elite Division
  • Champions (9): 1992, 1994, 1996,^[106] 1997–98,^[107] 1999, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17
  • Runners-up (3): 1988, 2000,^[108] 2005^[109]
  • Third place (1): 2019–20^[110]
• MFA Elite Corporate League
  • Champions (1):2023^[111][112]
  • Runners-up (1): 2022^[113]
• WIFA Super Division
  • Champions (1): 1999^[30]
• E. K. Nayanar Memorial Gold Cup
  • Champions (1): 2008^[45]
  • Runners-up (1): 2012^[114][115]
• IFA Shield^{[note 1][116]}
  • Runners-up (1): 2009^[117]
• Rovers Cup
  • Runners-up (2): 1994,^[118] 1996^[119]
• Nadkarni Cup^[120]
  • Champions (8): 1984, 1991, 2005, 2006,^[121] 2009, 2017, 2018, 2019^[122]
  • Runners-up (6): 1983, 1988, 2001, 2010, 2014, 2015
• Air-India Millenium Cup
  • Champions (4): 2001, 2002,^[123] 2003, 2004^[43]
• Aurungabad Mayor's Trophy
  • Champions (1): 2006^[124]
• Kalina MLA Cup
  • Champions (1): 2013^[125]
• Arlem Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2002^[126][127]
• Kalinga Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2013^[128]
• G.V. Raja Football Tournament
  • Runners-up (1): 2015^[129]
• All India Super Sports Society Football Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2016^[130]

• Youngest ever hat-trick scorer inIndian highest division league: Bungo Singh – 18 years and 3 days; for Air Indiavs.SBT (5 March 2001)^[131]

As of matches played 30 April 2008

Competition	Round	Year	Opposition	Score	Venue	City	Ref
DCM Trophy	Group stage	1993	Royal Nepal Airlines Club	2–0	Ambedkar Stadium	New Delhi	[132]
DCM Trophy	Group stage	1994	S.D.A. Kathmandu	2–0	Ambedkar Stadium	New Delhi	[132]
DCM Trophy	Group stage	1996	ANFA XI	1–0	Ambedkar Stadium	New Delhi	[132]
Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup	Group stage	2006	Nepal XI	1–0	Paljor Stadium	Gangtok	[133]
E. K. Nayanar Memorial Gold Cup	Group stage	2008	Buenos Aires	5–1	Kannur Municipal Corporation Stadium	Kannur	[134]
E. K. Nayanar Memorial Gold Cup	Final	2008	Associação Ferroviária de Esportes	1–0	Kannur Municipal Corporation Stadium	Kannur	[46]

The club has its hockey team,^[135] that competed inBeighton Cup (one of the oldestfield hockey tournaments in the world), and lifted the trophy in 2007 and 2010.^[136][137] They also appeared inBombay Gold Cup.^[138][139]

Notable players

• Ashok Kumar – member of the India national hockey team that won1975 World Cup, recipient ofArjuna Award in 1974, played for Air India (then known as Indian Airlines).^{[140][141][142][143][144]}
• Adrian D'Souza –field hockey goalkeeper who represented India at theSultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament, earned more than 100 international caps, and played for Air India.^{[145][146][147][148][149][150]}
• Mervyn Fernandis – won gold medal at the1980 Summer Olympics atMoscow, representing India.^[151][152]
• Baljit Singh Dhillon – represented India at the numerous editions of theSummer Olympics.^[153][154]
• Sameer Dad – represented India at the1998 Asian Games and1998 Men's Hockey World Cup, also played for Air India.^[155][156]
• Subbaiah Anjaparavanda – represented India at themen's tournament of1996 Summer Olympics, and played for Air India (Indian Airlines).^[157]
• Shakeel Ahmed – represented India at the1992 Summer Olympics, also played for Air India.^[158]
• Yuvraj Walmiki – was a member of theIndian team that won the2011 Asian Champions Trophy, played in domestic tournaments with Air India.^{[159][160][161][162]}
• Len Aiyappa Ballachanda – represented India at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and World Series Hockey, also played for Air India.^{[163][164][165][166]}

Honours

• Senior National Hockey Championship^{[167][168][169][170]}
  • Champions (2): 2013, 2014
  • Runners-up (2): 2012, 2020
  • Third place (1): 2015
• Beighton Cup
  • Champions (2): 2007, 2010^[171]
  • Runners-up (1): 1995
• Bombay Gold Cup^[172]
  • Champions (2): 2001, 2002
  • Runners-up (3): 2007, 2009, 2013
• Guru Tegh Bahadur Gold Cup^[172]
  • Champions (3): 2008, 2010, 2015^[173]
• Surjit Memorial Hockey Tournament^[174]
  • Champions (1): 2011
  • Runners-up (4): 1992, 1994, 1995, 2010
• Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament^{[175][176][177]}
  • Champions (4): 1995, 1997, 2001, 2010
  • Runners-up (1): 1994

The club operates youth academy teams (colts), and their under-19 team previously competed inI-League U19.^[178][179]

The men's cricket team of Air India competes in regional tournaments including Maharaja Padam Singh Championship and Hot Weather Championship, which are organized by theDelhi & District Cricket Association.^[180][181]

Honours

• DDCA Hot Weather Championship
  • Runners-up (1): 2013^[180]

• List of Air India FC managers
• List of Air India FC seasons
• List of football clubs in Mumbai
• Sports in Maharashtra

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• Air India FC at WorldFootball.net
• Air India FC at Flashscore
• Air India Goal.com Profile
• Air India FC archive atWIFA
• Air India FC at Global Sports Archive

• Air India FC
• Association football clubs established in 1952
• I-League clubs
• Football clubs in Mumbai
• 1952 establishments in Bombay State
• Works football clubs in India
• Air India
• Aviation association football clubs

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