Kalyan Chaubey destroyed Indian football: Bhaichung Bhutia demands overhaul
Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia has launched a scathing attack on the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its president, Kalyan Chaubey, accusing them of wrecking the condition of football in the country and demanding a complete overhaul of the system.Bhutia's scathing remarks came a day after India suffered an embarrassing 0-1 defeat to Hong Kong—ranked 153rd in the world—in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The result leaves India's hopes of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup hanging by a thread.advertisement"It's very painful to see we're now struggling to even qualify for the Asia Cup, which we had been regularly making it to," Bhutia told PTI, his frustration mirroring that of fans across the country.
"Countries like Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Jordan have qualified for the World Cup, and we're still battling for a place in the Asia Cup. It's very unfortunate," he added, pointing to India's stagnation in comparison to their Asian peers.Bhutia, who lost to Chaubey in the AIFF presidential election in September 2022, did not hold back in his criticism, saying: "Kalyan Chaubey has destroyed Indian football. He must resign. He has completely ruined it."Highlighting the instability within the federation, Bhutia noted that the AIFF has had three General Secretaries in just over two years. "The whole structure needs to be changed. The system is broken," he said.advertisementThe defeat to Hong Kong followed a three-week training camp in Kolkata and is expected to push India down to 133 in the FIFA rankings. The current head coach, Manolo Marquez-who is also in charge of ISL club FC Goa-has overseen just one win in the national team's last eight matches. There are now growing rumours that even he is unwilling to continue in the role."The appointment of Marquez was done bypassing the Technical Committee," Bhutia alleged. "He's coaching FC Goa and the national team at the same time. How is that even allowed? It's a complete mockery."Bhutia also criticised the decision to bring Sunil Chhetri out of international retirement for the Hong Kong fixture, calling it an act of desperation rather than strategy. "It was a kind gesture from him to return, but it was a poor decision overall. We hear the Federation pushed for it, but what's changed?" he asked.He further slammed the federation for the ongoing I-League controversy, where the title race between Inter Kashi and Churchill Brothers has been marred by legal disputes. "Controversy after controversy, allegations of corruption-months have passed and we still don't know who the I-League winner is," Bhutia said.Bhutia also mocked the AIFF's decision to offer a $50,000 (around ?42 lakh) match bonus for the Hong Kong game instead of linking it to qualification. "Why not make the reward performance-based? It just shows how clueless the management is," he said.He lamented the lack of grassroots development and the increasing off-field chaos, which he believes is now directly affecting on-field performances. "There's absolutely nothing happening at the grassroots level. All we hear is negative news from the top, and that's reflecting in the results," Bhutia said. You May Also Like
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
24 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Just 24 Or 25...": Ex-India Star's Clear Verdict On Shubman Gill Becoming Test Captain
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Robin Uthappa has praised the selection committee for appointing a young captain in Shubman Gill for the upcoming Test series against England. Gill replaces the now-retired Rohit Sharma at the helm. Virat Kohli too is no longer part of the Test setup following his retirement from the format last month. Uthappa highlighted how Gill, 25, could end up leading the Indian team for the next decade or so if he manages to do well in England. "You have got to give tops to that selection committee because they have gone with foresight. Shubman is just 24 or 25 right now. If he gets this right, then you can see him leading the Indian Test side for the next 10 years, the next decade, and that leaves Indian cricket in great hands because he is a high-quality bat," Uthappa said on Star Sports. Uthappa praised Gill for his leadership during the recently-concluded IPL season, where he led Gujarat Titans to the playoffs after a disappointing first campaign as captain last year. "We have seen his captaincy evolve from last year to this year just in the IPL, just the way he led the Gujarat Titans, the intensity with which he functioned, the decisions he made on the field, and the way he stood up for his teammates with the umpires or anything that happened on the field," he added. Uthappa pointed a bright future for Gill as captain in international cricket. "He is going to be a great leader. He is a smart cricketer. He has got a good brain for the game. He understands his game deeply. He is very talented, and he is a nice human being. He has all the raw materials to become a really good leader," Uthappa explained. "The one thing I like about Shubman is that he will walk his talk as well. He is very organized and diligent around his training and his preparation, which will be a great example to other players. I think he is primed to take on the international scene by storm," he further pointed out.
NDTV
24 minutes ago
- NDTV
2 Lakh Cyber Attacks On India's Power System During Op Sindoor: Minister
There have been two lakh cyber attacks on the power sector in India during 'Operation Sindoor'. In the first such confirmation of massive cyber attacks during India-Pakistan clashes, the government today said all the attacks were foiled and the power system is working perfectly. "Two lakh cyber attacks on the power system have taken place. All these attacks have been thwarted," said Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. He was addressing a press conference on the completion of 11 years of the BJP-led Central government. To a question by NDTV, the minister said that cyber attacks started after India launched 'Operation Sindoor' - in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack - and continued for 8 to 10 days. In Jammu and Kashmir, most of the official sites, including power, were targeted, and some are still struggling to be restored. The cyber attacks have affected public services and the official functioning of various departments. On May 7, India woke up to the news of "focused, measured and non-escalatory" strikes of the Armed Forces on the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Nine terror launchpads were targeted within 25 minutes in the operation. The mission was named 'Operation Sindoor' - a codename to avenge the widows of the April 22 attack, wherein 26 civilians - all men - were killed in cold blood by terrorists linked to an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba. The precision terror strikes on terror launch pads were met with Pakistani aggression. The Pakistani military tried to target several cities in India using drones and other munitions, which were "repulsed" by the Indian forces. After four days of fighting, India and Pakistan reached an agreement to stop firing on May 10. Within hours, however, the deal was breached by Pakistan. It was responded to with a stern warning by the Armed Forces the next day: "India would retaliate fiercely to any violation in future".
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
25 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Sensex, Nifty decline amid geopolitical tension and trade uncertainty
Indian equities declined on Thursday amid uncertainty surrounding the US–China trade deal and rising geopolitical tensions. The Sensex ended at 81,692, a decline of 823 points or 1 per cent. The Nifty, meanwhile, ended the session at 24,888, a fall of 253 points or 1.01 per cent. Investors were jittery despite US President Donald Trump's claim on Wednesday that a tariff framework with China had been reached. Concerns about elevated geopolitical tensions further dented sentiment after Iran said it would strike US bases in the Middle East if nuclear talks failed. The US, in response, said its personnel were being moved out of the Middle East as it could become a dangerous place. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East could push Brent crude prices higher—a key negative for India, which imports most of its crude oil requirements. Aviation stocks declined after a fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India left more than 200 people dead. The shares of Indian aviation firms fell. The stock of InterGlobe Aviation, which owns IndiGo, dropped 2.7 per cent, while that of SpiceJet declined by 1.8 per cent. Shares of helicopter services firm Global Vectra Helicorp fell by 0.1 per cent, and those of chartered aircraft carrier Taal Enterprises declined by 3.05 per cent. In the near future, negotiations between the US and its trading partners, as well as geopolitical developments, will determine market direction. 'The Nifty has once again approached the support zone of its short-term moving average—the 20-day EMA—which currently lies around the 24,800 mark. A decisive break below this level could lead the index back into a consolidation phase. Given the prevailing uncertainty, we recommend maintaining strict stop-losses in short-term trades, particularly in the mid-cap and small-cap space. It is also advisable to avoid aggressive long positions until a clearer directional trend emerges,' said Ajit Mishra, senior vice-president – research, Religare Broking. Barring three, all Sensex constituents declined. Larsen & Toubro, which fell 2.2 per cent, was the biggest contributor to the Sensex decline, followed by Infosys, which dropped 1.4 per cent. The market breadth was weak, with 2,780 stocks declining and 1,226 advancing.
