Kalyan Chaubey enjoys edge over Bhaichung Bhutia

There will be a fight for the vice-president’s post between Congressmen NA Haris and Manvendra Singh

Bhaichung Bhutia: File Photo

TT Bureau   |   Calcutta   |   02.09.22  : The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is set to get a former player as its new president on Friday when the 34 member-associations elect the office-bearers. In the ring for the top post are former India goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey and former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia. 

Chaubey, seen as the BJP candidate since he is being backed by the Gujarat and Arunachal state associations, is the clear front-runner. For Bhutia, a legend in his own right, it will be an uphill task as most of the state associations are firmly behind the former goalkeeper who is now a BJP leader from Bengal.

“He (Chaubey) wants to act as the bridge between the central government and the federation,” an official told The Telegraph.

There will be a fight for the vice-president’s post between Congressmen NA Haris (Karnataka) and Manvendra Singh (Rajasthan). Andhra Pradesh state association president Gopalakrishna Kosaraju and Kipa Ajay of Arunachal Pradesh are the two candidates in the fray for the treasurer’s post.

As only 14 candidates have filed their nominations for as many posts of executive committee members, all of them are set to be declared elected. None from the Indian Football Association (IFA) is, however, in the fray.  Indian football has been in turmoil over the past threeand-a-half months.

The onus will be on the new president and his men to set the house in order.