PANAJI: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) will have a former footballer as president for the first time in its 85-year history, but it won’t be without a fight. Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia has upset plans of the state associations who met on Wednesday night and formed its own ‘panel’ with goalkeeper, and now BJP leader, Kalyan Chaubey as its unanimous choice for the top post.
Twenty-eight state associations representatives met in the Capital to finalise the executive committee and chose Chaubey as the presidential nominee. But before the former India goalkeeper could file his nomination on Thursday morning, Bhutia walked inside the AIFF headquarters and submitted his papers, backed by Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.