Football aficionados are all over the world, cheering their team on whenever needed. With so many tournaments taking place, football fans (and the players as well) hardly have the time to breathe. Be it college level leagues, or Domestic leagues, the enthusiasm is almost the same. The passions of the people often brim over when matches take place. One of the biggest football tournaments of the world, which drives people crazy, is the FIFA World Cup. Well, to be honest, all sports events organised by FIFA are top-tier football events, because after all, FIFA is the apex body for world football.
So, when it was announced that India would be hosting the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, people were naturally crazy. Getting to witness the madness, live in the stadium, is surely a different experience: one to be remembered for life. Experiencing the adrenaline surging as your team scores, or the disappointment when the opposite team scores, is something people cherish forever. With India hosting the World Cup, people had even started visiting Melbet Mobile to understand the basics of sports betting. Everyone was ready to make the most out of this opportunity, but unfortunately, things haven’t gone as planned.
FIFA banned AIFF, the top body that manages football in India. This means that all international football events are off limits to India, be it the World Cup or the Asia Cup. The main reason behind such a drastic step was that AIFF had been unable to elect a president since the past two years. The election should have taken place in 2020, but the pandemic and a court case regarding amendment to the AIFF Constitution greatly delayed the process. Finally, in May this year, the Supreme Court removed Praful Patel from his post, and appointed a Committee of Administrators. This body is a “third-party influence”, according to the statutes of FIFA, so AIFF was banned.
But finally, the AIFF is moving ahead with the elections, and nominations for candidates are pouring in. The recent nominee for the post is Bhaichung Bhutia who is one of the most prolific football players in the country. This move came after the Supreme Court allowed players to become a part of the administrative work in AIFF. Deepak Mondal nominated Bhutia for the post, and this proposal was seconded by Madhu Kumari, who is part of the electoral board.
Bhaichung Bhutia expressed his disappointment at the fact that there were no ex-players in AIFF, who were looking over the administration. This notion that players cannot deal with administrative work, has massively impacted the growth of football. As players, they would have a better understanding of the situation at the ground level, and thus, be able to work at the problems plaguing the field of football. Other major names that have been nominated include Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Shaji Prabhakaran, and Kalyan Chaubey, among others. Among these legendary names, Kalyan Chaubey seems to be the favourite candidate for the post
