Latest news with #KalyanChaubey
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'It's been disastrous': Bhaichung Bhutia slams AIFF chief Kalyan Chaubey, latter calls it 'baseless allegations'
Kalyan Chaubey has responded to Baichung Bhutia's comments, labelling them as baseless allegations (Image via X/@AllIndiaFtbl & IFTWC) Former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia has launched a stinging attack on All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey, accusing him of mismanagement and corruption that he says have pushed Indian football backwards both on and off the field. Speaking to PTI, Bhutia did not hold back in his assessment of Chaubey's tenure, saying ' I don't need to say much. I think the entire football fans in India are aware of what has happened in the last three years — it's been disastrous, not just on the field but off the field also. It's just been a disastrous and bad management of the football federation under Kalyan Chaubey ,' Bhutia said. The 48-year-old, however, ruled himself out and added that he hoped "somebody nice who can take the game forward would come and run the Football federation." Bhutia's comments come at a time when India's football scene has faced mounting criticism over inconsistent performances, administrative challenges, and concerns about accountability and transparency. Chaubey dismisses 'baseless allegations' In an official statement, AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey addressed the claims of corruption and poor governance. He highlighted the executive boards principles of 'transparency, collaboration and the collective development of Indian football.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thị trường có dấu hiệu suy thoái không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo WV Raman backs Shubman Gill to fire in England: 'He needs the right support' ' We follow two slogans – 'football unites the world' and 'Indian football, forward together'. These slogans reflect our shared vision, and I firmly believe that by working together, we can take Indian football to greater heights ,' Chaubey stated. He also wrote, 'We live in a democratic country where every citizen has the constitutional right to freedom of speech. As a member of the AIFF Executive Committee, Mr. Bhaichung Bhutia has access to an appropriate and empowered platform to express his views, raise concerns, and contribute constructively towards the development and performance of Indian football in the various AIFF Executive Committee meetings. ' Poll Do you agree with Bhaichung Bhutia's criticism of AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey? Yes, I completely agree No, I disagree While Bhutia's blunt remarks have reignited debate about the direction and governance of Indian football, Chaubey appealed for unity and a collective push forward. He also stressed that Bhutia has ' consistently and deliberately made baseless allegations and presented a distorted image of the AIFF ." The President exclaimed that such actions not only tarnish the reputation of the Federation, but also throw Indian football in a negative light on international platforms. Moreover, the AIFF President has also 'welcomed' Bhutia to contest in the upcoming AIFF Executive Committee Meeting scheduled for July 2, 2025, and that 'he is encouraged to present any constructive proposals during the meeting, which will duly be deliberated upon by the entire executive board'. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Hans India
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Kalyan Chaubey has turned AIFF into a 'circus': Bhaichung Bhutia
Kolkata: Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia highlighted poor management in the All India Football Federation (AIFF) alleged that its president Kalyan Chaubey has turned the sport's national body into a "circus" and he himself does not know what is his plan of 'Vision 2047'. AIFF Vision 2047 is a strategic roadmap developed by AIFF to transform Indian football into a powerhouse in Asia by the year 2047. In a recent press conference, Bhutia pointed at the sad state of affairs of football in the country which has led to many wondering what the future of the sport. 'It is very unfortunate that we are 133rd in rankings. We can all see we are struggling in the Asian Cup Qualifiers. I believe we have a good chance of qualifying but at the same time we have to realise that the Asian Cup now has 24 teams, compared to 16 during my captaincy, so we must qualify. 'Our great President Kalyan Chaubey had earlier said we will be in the top 10 in Asia by 2026. Now he is saying we should have prepared for this 10 years ago. In three years under Kalyan Chaubey, even our women's team has gone down. I think he himself does not know what 'Vision 2047' is,' the former India striker said in a press conference. Following Igor Stimac's turbulent exit and India's elimination from the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the team went winless throughout 2024. Their only victory came in March when veteran striker Sunil Chhetri came out of retirement to lead the side to a 3-0 win over the Maldives - India's first win in 489 days. Bhutia compared the current state of the AIFF to a circus and called Chaubey a "joker". 'Anybody following Indian football knows it's a circus right now, and obviously if you put a joker in that position then that is what will happen,' he said. The AIFF president had also accused the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools, a chain of commercial football academies run by the former striker, of "taking undue advantage by playing on emotions". Bhaichung addressed the allegations and spoke on the progress of his academies. 'I usually don't talk about Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools during a press conference but it is high time. We had started the tournament 12 years back and within 2-3 years we decided we needed to be sustainable. That is when we started the after-school programme. 30% of students are on a full scholarship whereas 70% were focused on after-school programmes. We have got 220 coaches, 70 centres and are the biggest grassroots programme in the nation. All the money that comes in goes towards our goal. 'Kalyan had talked about the FIFA Academy, four players were from our school. He talked about the women's academy, our club Garhwal FC had won the tournament in which they (Indian Arrows) finished runners-up (Indian Women's League 2). He himself has not done anything to contribute to football, even when he played he was focused on politics,' Bhutia added.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Indian football fans slam AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey over 'crash course' plan for strikers: 'Is this a school summer vacation?'
AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey's crash course plan for strikers sparked outrage among Indian football fans on X, who accused the federation of trivialising a serious crisis and revealing its lack of direction. read more All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey's plan to invite a world-class striker to India and give a 'crash course' to Indian strikers in finishing has left the internet users surprised and disappointed. Lack of goals has emerged as Indian football team's biggest problem of late, with head coach Manolo Marquez forced to convince 40-year-old Sunil Chhetri in reversing his international retirement. The Indian football team has scored only 7 goals in the last 15 matches since January 2024. They last scored in March and have failed to find the net in their last three matches, which included defeats to Thailand in a friendly and Hong Kong in an AFC Asian Cup third-round qualifier. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Read | The poor results have put India in the danger of missing the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, after playing in the last two editions. More from Football AIFF admits India facing massive goal-scoring problem During the , the embattled Chaubey admitted the goal-scoring issue and said that reducing the number of foreign players in domestic leagues could be a solution to help the teams pick more Indian strikers. 'For any sport to grow in popularity, it is essential for the national team to perform well. It's true that our national team has struggled to secure wins against teams such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Thailand and Hong Kong. However, it's unrealistic to expect wins without scoring goals,' Chaubey said. 'This clearly highlights the lack of goal-scoring abilities and shortage of effective Indian strikers. A practical, collective decision is urgently required to increase match-time for the Indian strikers. 'But how can this be achieved? This calls for a joint discussion among all the stakeholders, to develop a viable and collective roadmap. One possible measure could be the gradual reduction in the number of foreign players allowed in the domestic league, thereby allowing more space for positive Indian strikers. 'All the stakeholders will have to decide collectively. The AIFF cannot take the decision alone.' Kalyan Chaubey proposes crash course for strikers However, it was the ingenious idea of proposing a crash course for strikers that took the cake. 'We are trying to get a top striker in the world. We will identify 5 or 7 Under-23 strikers and give them a few days' crash course in finishing,' Chaubey said. The AIFF president's bizarre comments left Indian football fans on X furious, as they slammed the federation for downplaying a serious situation and exposing a lack of clear vision. 'Abbe school ka summer vacation camp hai kya? (Is this a school summer vacation?),' a surprised Indian football team fan asked. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Another fan said that the proposed plan is an indication the Indian football is 'truly finished'. One of the Indian football fans said that a crash course in education is a normal thing, but something like this in football would be a first. 'Engineering aur medical coaching ka crash course suna tha but AIFF ke karan striker ka crash course start ho raha hai (Had heard of crash courses for engineering and medical coaching, but thanks to the AIFF, a crash course for strikers is now starting).'
News18
13-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
Kalyan Chaubey Reveals AIFF's Push To Integrate OCI Players Into Indian Football Team
Last Updated: Chaubey stated that the AIFF is in contact with 33 OCI players as part of a process of integrating them into the national side eventually. After all the backlash that followed from the masses regarding the inclusion of OCI players in the Indian football team, it seems like the AIFF has finally met their demands. AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey announced on Friday that the process to integrate OCI players into the fold is underway, with the Federation already having scouted players for the same. India's lack of growth in sports like football and tennis has often led to criticism of the ban on Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders from representing the country in 2008. The current ruling stated that players with OCI or PIO cards are currently ineligible to represent India due to a 2008 order from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), which directed all National Sports Federations (NSFs) to allow only sportspersons holding a valid Indian passport to represent the country in international events. Much of the renewed demand from the public for the inclusion of players was born following the abysmal showings put forth by the Indian football team, whose decline to the bottom was highlighted with an embarrassing 0-1 loss to Hong Kong this past week. India's talent pool is so dry that the team couldn't find a replacement for the aging and retired footballer Sunil Chhetri, prompting coach Manolo Marquez to personally urge him to return for the crucial Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. At a press conference in New Delhi, Chaubey revealed that AIFF, per the FIFA statutes and the respective laws of the land, is now actively in the process of recognising and recruiting OCI players to come and represent the country in the national team. 'Additionally, it is worth noting that many countries that lie below India in the FIFA rankings have adopted the policy of allowing naturalized players," Chaubey stated. 'The AIFF has also proactively initiated communication with various ministries within the Indian government regarding OCI players, with encouraging responses," he added. Chaubey confirmed that the AIFF is in contact with 33 players eligible for OCI cards. 'The AIFF is in communication with 33 players who fall into the category of OCI. Some of them have received their OCI cards, and others are in the process of attaining the same, with the assistance of the AIFF," he said. 'We are committed to aligning with the laws of the land and the framework of the FIFA statutes for the inclusion of OCI players in India." First Published:
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Kalyan Chaubey's biggest quandary: How to increase playing time for Indian strikers in ISL, as Indian football keeps faltering
Indian men's football has an unsolvable, complex problem. The national team needs strikers who play in that designated role for their ISL teams. But ISL clubs who have invested money in the said league, prefer foreign strikers over Indians, to assure themselves of quality play up front. It's a classic Gordian knot, and the All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey carries no sword of Alexander to resolve it. So when he addressed the press after the latest setback – a loss to lower-ranked Hong Kong in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers Round 3 on Tuesday conceding a goal in the 94th minute – the most he managed was elaborating on the nature of this knot. 'In ISL, most of the clubs have foreign players as strikers. It is very difficult for a player to play in a certain position (winger or playmaker) for long time and then shift to another position for the national team,' Chaubey said. 'We need to take a practical collective decision to increase match time for Indian strikers,' Kalyan Chaubey told reporters on Friday. The Knot has further tangles, which the direct posers from the press laid bare. 'Why is India underperforming?', 'Has (coach) Manolo quit?', 'Is OCI-PIO rule going to change?', 'What happened in the I-League case (where winner is yet to be determined)?' Clarity was absent on any of those. After the departure of Croatian Igor Stimac and appointment of Manolo Marquez as the head coach in July 2024, the Indian team has played eight international games losing three, drawing four and winning just one. The Indian team has scored five goals and conceded eight, with three coming in just one friendly against Maldives. Reports emerged after the Hong Kong loss that Manolo mighty quit the national team role and is unhappy with team's performance. Clarifying on the same, Chaubey said, 'Manolo Marquez is one of the longest serving foreign coaches in India. Over past six years, he has managed multiple clubs and his understanding of the Indian players and their strength is better compared to others. The executive committee will be meeting on 29th June and in consultation of the technical committee, we will take a call.' India's ranking has also dropped massively in past six months. Placed at 102 in December 2024, the Indian team is currently placed at world number 127. While the performance of the Indian players have been under constant scrutiny, fans and experts have voiced for the inclusion of People of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) players in the national team. Currently, India doesn't allow dual citizenship preventing Indian-origin players playing in other countries to represent the national team. 'Several countries ranked below India have adopted the method of having naturalized citizens and it has worked for them. AIFF has initiated communication with relevant departments of the Indian government for OCI and PIO players and the initial response is encouraging. We are in touch with 33 players and we are assisting them in getting OCI cards,' Chaubey said. However, the implementation of OCI and PIOs athletes representing India remains a distant dream as it is a complex issue that involves stakeholders beyond Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India. Last month this newspaper reported that the Sports Ministry is considering the idea of looking at players of Indian origin to improve sports where India lacks considerable strength at the international level. Apart from the issues with the national teams, the AIFF leadership also evaded questions related to status of the partnership between AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) for Indian Super League and the ongoing dispute in the I League involving Inter Kashi and Churchill Brothers.
