On Friday in the election for the top post the All India Football Federation (AIFF) got a former player as its first president in its 85-year history with Kalyan Chaubey beating the legendary Bhaichung Bhutia.
A former goalkeeper with Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, the 45-year-old Chaubey, a result that was expected as former captain Bhutia did not have many supporters in the 34-member voters’ list made up of state association representatives, won 33-1,.
The 45 year old ,could not even get his state association representative as proposer or seconder for filing his nomination papers.
A politician of the current ruling government BJP who lost the last parliamentary election for the Krishnanagar seat in West Bengal, Chaubey, , never played for the India senior team though he was in the squad on few occasions.
He was also a former goalkeeper at both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. However, he, played for India in age-group international tournaments..
Furthermore, at East Bengal Chaubey and Bhutia were one-time teammates.
A sitting Congress MLA ,karnataka Football Association president N A Haris, , beating Manvendra Singh of Rajasthan FA ,won the election for the lone post of vice president.
Gopalakrishna Kosaraju of Andhra Pradesh lost for the treasurer’s post by Arunachal Pradesh’s Kipa Ajay.
