NEW DELHI: Bhaichung Bhutia ensured that there eventually would be a match in the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) elections when he filed his nomination for president against Kalyan Chaubey, proposed and seconded by Andhra and Rajasthan. He spoke to TOI on Thursday.
Excerpts:
From claiming to fight for the players and standing from that plank a couple of days ago to now being nominating like this, what changed in the interim?
I’ve always said before, this is my life. I have been in football for 40 years now, and this is what I know. I have the know-how, the knowledge to serve Indian football. And players know these things best. I can work closely with states as a team for development of Indian football, so that the players come from the states.
Kalyan Chaubey too is a former player. He too claims to have the same vision as you. What stops you from working closely with him, instead of facing off for the top post?
What stops Kalyan Chaubey from working closely with me? I am the more experienced player, and have more experience in working with the states. I know FIFA and the AFC, they know me…
Football is a team game, and senior, mature players are known to turn ‘libero’. Surely, there is a role for you...
No, it doesn’t work like that. Kalyan is a great guy, I’ve known him well but I also feel that he is being misled by the states in the case.
It is being said that your nomination seems to be the last throw of dice by Praful Patel to exert some kind of influence as things move on? Is this a battle for relevance mostly?
I haven’t sought anybody’s help, I haven’t sided with any political party. I felt that I had to contribute to Indian football so I made my intent known. I cannot say anything about the political affiliations of my proposer and seconder. I understand Manvendra Singh is a former BJP leader, now with Congress, but that’s of no concern to me.
In the previous election plan, why do you think players didn’t come out openly in your support?
What did you want them to do? Land in Delhi and say, ‘Bhaichung Zindabad!’? We have always maintained that the players are united for the cause of their representation and I still remain a firm believer of them having voting rights. Players will always support a former player.
Even Kalyan is a former player, what changes there then?
Kalyan is being misled by the states. I want him to understand that. They were nearly a dozen nominations before he was thrust into the scene, then they all said they were backing him. I am apolitical and I want Indian football administrations to be free of any political influence too – be it BJP, Congress Trinamool, JD (U). I can walk into any state and work with them irrespective of the political party in power there.
