Bhutia, Chaubey file for AIFF president’s post

Kolkata: Indian soccer icon Bhaichung Bhutia on Friday filed his nomination for the post of president of the All India Football Federation ahead of the August 28 election to the executive
committee of the country’s apex soccer body.
“Yes, I have filed my nomination for the post of president of the AIFF today (Friday). Deepak Mondal, my onetime national teammate, is my proposer. And former women’s national team player Madhu Kumari seconded the proposal,” Bhutia told UNI over phone from Delhi.
Bhutia went to the AIFF office in Delhi’s Dwarka during the day to file his nomination.
“I am representing the eminent footballers – both men and women. I am hoping that the decision of the Supreme Court, which has favoured 50 percent of former players in the AIFF administration, stands. The Supreme Court wants eminent ex-footballers to contribute as administrators. Former footballers have hardly ever got a chance to serve the country as soccer administrators,” said the 45-year-old Bhutia, a legendary striker during his playing days.
However, FIFA, the world apex body of the game, has not been favourably disposed to the idea of former footballers constituting a majority in running the game in India.
Apart from Bhutia, former Indian team custodian Kalyan Chaubey, Football Delhi chief Shaji Prabhakaran, former player Eugeneson Lyngdoh (Meghalaya football association) and WestBengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s brother and Indian Football Association head Ajit Banerjee. also entered the frat for the president’s slot, as the deadline for nomination expired on Friday.
Some soccer analysts in India have been claiming that Chaubey is the frontrunner for the top slot, as he is not only a member of the center’s ruling BJP, but his nomination has been proposed by the Gujarat Football Association and seconded by the Arunachal Pradesh football association. The powerful union home minister Amit Shah is from Gujara, while law minister Kiran Rijiju hails from Arunachal.
However, Bhutia refused to dwell into such claims. “I don’t know who is the frontrunner and who is the back runner. All ex-footballers have nominated me.
I am their candidate. This is an opportunity for ex-players to contribute in administrative matters concerning the game in India,” he said.
India is now serving a FIFA-decreed suspension for “third party intervention” in the AIFF. As per a Supreme Court order, the electoral college was to comprise the 36 state associations and 36 representatives of former eminent football players – 24 of them men, and 12 women. (UNI)