India, June 9 -- Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has come to the rescue of Indian football with a crucial intervention to end the financial deadlock threatening the future of Indian football. Following a high-stakes two-hour meeting in the capital city, Mandaviya directed the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the 14 league clubs to immediately form a joint task force to resolve their commercial disputes and develop a structured roadmap for the next two seasons.

The meeting was called highly constructive, with all parties moving away from the blame game to concentrate entirely on actionable solutions. Mandaviya reminded that the ISL is a major commercial venture, directly supporting the livelihoods of hundreds of players an...