Kalyan Chaubey destroyed Indian football: Bhaichung Bhutia demands overhaul

Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia has launched a scathing attack on the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its president, Kalyan Chaubey, accusing them of wrecking the condition of football in the country and demanding a complete overhaul of the system.Bhutia's scathing remarks came a day after India suffered an embarrassing 0-1 defeat to Hong Kong—ranked 153rd in the world—in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The result leaves India's hopes of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup hanging by a thread.advertisement"It's very painful to see we're now struggling to even qualify for the Asia Cup, which we had been regularly making it to," Bhutia told PTI, his frustration mirroring that of fans across the country.
"Countries like Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Jordan have qualified for the World Cup, and we're still battling for a place in the Asia Cup. It's very unfortunate," he added, pointing to India's stagnation in comparison to their Asian peers.Bhutia, who lost to Chaubey in the AIFF presidential election in September 2022, did not hold back in his criticism, saying: "Kalyan Chaubey has destroyed Indian football. He must resign. He has completely ruined it."Highlighting the instability within the federation, Bhutia noted that the AIFF has had three General Secretaries in just over two years. "The whole structure needs to be changed. The system is broken," he said.advertisementThe defeat to Hong Kong followed a three-week training camp in Kolkata and is expected to push India down to 133 in the FIFA rankings. The current head coach, Manolo Marquez-who is also in charge of ISL club FC Goa-has overseen just one win in the national team's last eight matches. There are now growing rumours that even he is unwilling to continue in the role."The appointment of Marquez was done bypassing the Technical Committee," Bhutia alleged. "He's coaching FC Goa and the national team at the same time. How is that even allowed? It's a complete mockery."Bhutia also criticised the decision to bring Sunil Chhetri out of international retirement for the Hong Kong fixture, calling it an act of desperation rather than strategy. "It was a kind gesture from him to return, but it was a poor decision overall. We hear the Federation pushed for it, but what's changed?" he asked.He further slammed the federation for the ongoing I-League controversy, where the title race between Inter Kashi and Churchill Brothers has been marred by legal disputes. "Controversy after controversy, allegations of corruption-months have passed and we still don't know who the I-League winner is," Bhutia said.Bhutia also mocked the AIFF's decision to offer a $50,000 (around ?42 lakh) match bonus for the Hong Kong game instead of linking it to qualification. "Why not make the reward performance-based? It just shows how clueless the management is," he said.He lamented the lack of grassroots development and the increasing off-field chaos, which he believes is now directly affecting on-field performances. "There's absolutely nothing happening at the grassroots level. All we hear is negative news from the top, and that's reflecting in the results," Bhutia said. You May Also Like

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Time of India

26 minutes ago

• Time of India

HC judge calls for deeper engagement with law

Dimapur: Justice Y Longkumer, judge of Gauhati High Court, Kohima bench, on Friday called for deeper engagement with law, greater professional development and renewed commitment to justice by the lawyers. She said the panel lawyers, who often serve as the first line of access to justice for the marginalised and under-represented, now play a unique and essential role as educators, advisors and counsellors for common citizens at a time when the Indian legal system is undergoing a pivotal transition with the introduction of new criminal laws. Longkumer was speaking at the one-day orientation programme organised by the Nagaland State Legal Services Authority on new criminal laws — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) — for panel/retainer lawyers and Legal Aid Defence Counsel System lawyers in Kohima. She said the Indian criminal justice system is undergoing significant reforms with the introduction of the BNS, BNSS and BSA, replacing the IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act. "These new legislative reforms are not just mere cosmetic changes but represent a new way of thinking on how the justice system is perceived, delivered and experienced by the common citizens," Longkumer said. She said the lawyers, who serve in the legal services panel, are often the first line of access to justice for the marginalised and under-represented, and their role now is more important than ever. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top Cardiologist Says This Food Can Do Wonders For Your Health Gundry MD Learn More Undo "You have to learn to adapt to changes with professionalism and as it is with any legal transition, there will be challenges and uncertainties in the interpretation," the judge said. On existing practical difficulties, Longkumer cited the existence of different interpretations and sources, questions and the practical burden of unlearning and relearning while observing that now they have to change their mindset and start to unlearn the IPC, CrPC and learn the new laws.

The Wire

37 minutes ago

• The Wire

Opposition Leaders Criticise Shah's Remark that Speaking English In India Will Soon Evoke Shame

Some leaders pointed to the economic value of learning English, while others recalled India's linguistic diversity. New Delhi: A number of opposition politicians on Friday (June 20) expressed criticism of Union home minister Amit Shah's remarks that soon people would feel shame for speaking in English in India, saying that learning the language is economically useful and alleging that Shah was trying to undermine India's linguistic pluralism. Speaking at a book launch in Delhi, Shah on Thursday said that 'the building of a society where those who speak English in this country will feel shame is not far away now'. A 'foreign language' cannot be used to understand 'our country, its history, its traditions and our religions', said Shah, adding to express hope that despite the difficulty in doing so, Indian society would 'once again' run the country, think, conduct research and make decisions in 'our languages'. However, Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi said English is 'as essential as your mother tongue because it will secure jobs [and] boost confidence', advocating for cherishing Indian languages while teaching English. He also alleged that the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh 'don't want India's poor children to learn English because they don't want you to ask questions, move forward or stand equal'. K. Kanimozhi, Rajya Sabha MP from the Tamil Nadu-based Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party that has resisted what it says is the 'imposition' of Hindi in the state, said that the 'only thing [one] should be ashamed of' is 'imposing your will on the people and trying to destroy the pluralism of India', per a machine translation. R. Bindu, education minister of neighbouring Kerala, alleged that Shah was trying to impose Hindi when he spoke against English. The Hindu cited the Communist Party of India (Marxist) politician as saying that the home minister's remarks reflected his 'narrow politics' and, given that 'learning as many languages as possible would enhance one's knowledge', would 'narrow the global perspective of students'. P. Sandosh Kumar, Rajya Sabha MP for Kerala and member of the Communist Party of India, was quoted as saying by PTI that Shah was trying to 'stigmatise India's linguistic diversity and push the RSS-BJP's cultural majoritarianism'. Trinamool Congress leader Sagarika Ghose, who represents West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha, said Indians 'should not be 'ashamed' of ANY language'. 'Preposterous nonsense from Shri [Amit Shah]. 'English is a link language across India, [it's] aspirational, confers a global advantage and knowledge of English is demanded by millions,' she wrote on X.

The Hindu

41 minutes ago

• The Hindu

Operation Sindhu: 290 Indian students return from Iran, land in Delhi

A flight from Mashhad, Iran, carrying 290 Indian students, mostly from Jammu and Kashmir, landed at the Delhi Airport late Friday (June 20, 2025). The Indian Government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate its nationals from the Middle Eastern country as hostilities escalate between Israel and Iran. Two more flights are scheduled to arrive later in the night, including one from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, around 3 am, bringing home around 1,000 Indian nationals. "Heartfelt thanks to the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs, and all concerned authorities for their timely intervention and support. A great relief for families who had been anxiously awaiting their return," the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said in a statement. In a special gesture, Iran opened its airspace to facilitate India's evacuation efforts. Students were earlier moved to Mashhad from Tehran, and the flights operated by an Iranian airline were coordinated by Indian authorities. The evacuation follows days of aerial bombardments and retaliatory strikes between Iran and Israel. On Thursday (June 19, 2025), 110 Indian students were evacuated via Armenia and Doha before reaching Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs launched Operation Sindhu last week.