AIFF Election: Bhaichung Bhutia, Kalyan Chaubey contest for President’s post

But
another
former
player
Kalyan
Chaubey
has
emerged
as
the
front
runner
in
the
race
for
the
top
job.

Former
captain
Bhutia
was
proposed
by
his
onetime
national
teammate
Deepak
Mondal
and
seconded
by
Madhu
Kumari.

Kumari
is
part
of
the
electoral
college
as
an
’eminent’ player.
“I
have
filed
my
nominations
as
representative
of
eminent
players.
In
the
wake
of
the
SC
decision
to
allow
players
I
hope
the
players
can
have
a
chance
to
serve
Indian
football.

“We
want
to
show
we
can
be
good
not
only
as
players
but
also
as
administrators,” Bhutia
told
PTI.

Football
Delhi
president
Shaji
Prabhakaran
has
also
filed
the
nomination
papers
for
president’s
post.

Also
filing
the
nominations
are
former
player
Eugeneson
Lyngdoh,
through
the
Meghalaya
football
association,
and
West
Bengal
Chief
Minister
Mamata
Banerjee’s
brother
Ajit
Banerjee.

Lyngdoh
is
currently
serving
as
an
MLA
in
the
Meghalaya
legislative
assembly.
Chaubey,
a
former
India
goalkeeper,
who
has
played
for
both
Mohun
Bagan
and
East
Bengal,
like
his
illustrious
contemporary
Bhutia,
appeared
to
be
ahead
in
the
race
for
the
top
job.

Chaubey
is
a
member
of
the
ruling
BJP
but
what
could
work
in
his
favour
is
that
his
name
has
been
proposed
by
the
Gujarat
FA
and
seconded
by
the
Arunachal
Pradesh
football
association.

While
the
country’s
home
minister
hails
from
Gujarat,
Arunachal’s
Kiren
Rijiju
heads
the
law
ministry.

The
AIFF
elections
to
the
executive
committee
are
to
be
held
here
on
August
28.

Chaubey
has
entered
the
fray
as
a
normal
candidate,
something
that
could
push
his
case
further
as
world
football
governing
body
FIFA
is
not
in
favour
of
country’s
apex
body
being
run
by
eminent
players.

Hours
before
the
FIFA
ban
on
AIFF
earlier
this
week
the
Committee
of
Administrators
(CoA)
running
football
in
India
had
agreed
to
hold
the
sports
body’s
elections
without
giving
voting
rights
to
’eminent’ players
as
per
the
world
body’s
wish.

In
a
massive
setback
for
the
country,
FIFA
had
suspended
India
for
“undue
influence
from
third
parties” and
said
the
U-17
Women’s
World
Cup
“cannot
currently
be
held
in
India
as
planned.

The
Supreme
Court
had
said
that
the
electoral
college
for
the
executive
committee
of
the
AIFF
would
have
representatives
from
36
state
associations
and
36
representatives
of
eminent
football
players,
24
male
and
12
female.

The
players
should
have
played
at
least
one
international
match
representing
India
and
retired
from
international
tournaments
two
years
prior
to
the
date
of
notification
of
the
elections.

Known
as
the
‘Sikkimese
Sniper’
for
his
goal-scoring
prowess,
former
captain
Bhaichung,
45,
is
considered
one
of
the
country’s
greatest
footballers.

The
charismatic
striker
was
the
first
Indian
footballer
to
have
played
more
than
100
matches
for
India.
He
retired
from
international
football
a
few
months
after
playing
in
the
2011
Asian
Cup
in
Qatar,
having
made
his
debut
in
1995.

He
had
played
for
top
Indian
clubs
like
JCT,
East
Bengal
and
Mohun
Bagan
during
an
illustrious
career,
besides
also
spending
a
few
seasons
at
English
side
FC
Bury
(1999
to
2002).