 "Kalyan Chaubey entered politics after retiring from football, joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2015, seven years before being appointed AIFF president. PTI")
Kalyan Chaubey’s tenure as All India Football Federation (AIFF) president has been far from smooth ever since the former India goalkeeper took over the role in 2022, finding himself mired in multiple controversies and facing corruption allegations.
Chaubey’s administrative abilities particularly came under the scanner after Igor Stimac was sacked as Blue Tigers coach last year following a prolonged lean patch, with the Croatian going on to sensationally claim that Indian football was “imprisoned” with him in charge .
‘People are jealous that a person from the grassroots has come this far’
Chaubey, who also happens to be part of the Bharatiya Janata Party, hit back at the criticism that he has faced so far as AIFF chief, particularly after firing Stimac, claiming “elitist mindset” and “jealousy” as well as the fact that he comes from a humble background are why people have been pointing fingers at him.
“Most of the allegations against me have been proved wrong. We still have an elitist mindset. People are jealous that a person from the grassroots has come this far. If the AIFF president was a high-profile minister or a top industrialist I do not think people would have dared to badmouth him,” Chaubey, who played for two of India’s top clubs Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, told The Telegraph.
Chaubey went on to claim that any criticism directed at him was also a criticism of Indian football.
“They do not realise that by painting a negative picture about me, they are harming Indian football in the process. Spreading lies just for the sake of it does not enhance the brand of Indian football,” the 48-year-old added.
The Indian football team has witnessed a sharp decline since registering a series of strong performances in 2023, with the Blue Tigers having failed to win a single game in 2024 and currently finding themselves at the 127th spot.
India’s lack of depth in terms of talent has also come under the focus with legendary forward Sunil Chhetri having to come out of retirement for the recent AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifier against Bangladesh in Shillong, which ended in a goalless draw , in which the visiting team could have registered a victory with a bit of luck.
“We did not prepare well for the Bangladesh match. Maybe complacency was one of the reasons for an unimpressive show in Shillong. But against Hong Kong we will put up a good show,” Chaubey told the Kolkata-based newspaper, looking forward to India’s next Asian Cup qualifying game, against Hong Kong on 10 June.