AIFF Elections 2022: Shaji Prabhakaran appointed general secretary; Sunando Dhar retained as deputy
The AIFF Elections 2022 have concluded, and its results are now being declared. While Kalyan Chaubey was appointed president, Shaji Prabhakaran is the general secretary, with Sunando Dhar being his deputy.
FollowOn Saturday, Football Delhi president Shaji Prabhakaran was appointed as the new secretary general of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), with the long-time administrator returning, having served in a different capacity in the past. The appointment, which was somewhat expected, was conducted by the newly-formed AIFF executive committee, with Kalyan Chaubey as the president. As per the AIFF president's proposal, the committee also unanimously selected Sunando Dhar as the new deputy general secretary of the association. Dhar, who had joined the AIFF as I-League CEO, was established as the acting general secretary after Kushal Das was asked to leave.
The decision was taken during the new dispensation's first executive committee at the Football House, chaired by Chaubey. The president proposed Prabhakaran's name as AIFF's new secretary general, which all the members unanimously approved, the AIFF said in a statement. Prabhakaran, in the vanguard of the people who wanted a change in the AIFF functioning, did not contest the elections on Friday when Chaubey became AIFF's first player president in its 85-year presence.
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Welcoming the members, the Chaubey said: "This is the first time that six former eminent players are part of the Committee as per the order of the Honourable Supreme Court. We need to work together, and at no time should any personal ego come as a roadblock to our endeavour to take Indian football forward together. Discipline is the key to success, and we need to be accountable as per the deadlines set."
In 2017, Prabhakaran got elected as the Delhi Football Association president, now known as Football Delhi. He has also been the FIFA South Central Asia Development Officer. He was the director of vision and national teams at the Football House when Alberto Colaco was the AIFF general secretary. Prabhakaran was originally believed to be running for the AIFF president's post after Supreme Court ousted Praful Patel in May. However, it later appeared that he would be the secretary general if the Chaubey group won the elections.
Former goalkeeper Chaubey won the poll for the president, and that, too convincingly, against former India skipper Bhaichung Bhutia, as he paved the way for Prabhakaran's return to AIFF in a much more prominent position. Besides vice president NA Harris, treasurer Ajay Kipa, all additional just-elected executive committee associates, and the six distinguished footballers co-opted in the committee, except Bhutia, were present at the conference.
Dr Shaji's previous experience as FIFA Regional Development Officer will bring in new and fresh ideas, providing the much-needed fillip to Indian football," Chaubey said. The EC determined to designate IM Vijayan as the new technical committee chairman. Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Climax Lawrence, Harjinder Singh, Arun Malhotra and Ms Pinki Bompal are the other technical committee partners. Meanwhile, former India skipper Shabbir Ali was unanimously named the advisory committee chairman.
(With inputs from PTI)
