EXCLUSIVE: Kalyan Chaubey attempts to unite every stakeholder of Indian football in national interest.
Salient points
Delay the start of the ISL by a few days to ensure India sends its best team to the Asian Games
Ensure that no club suffers because they released players in national interest.
Bring every stakeholder together in the interest of Indian football.
He has been fire fighting this club v country debate for a while and is now trying to do something very radical in national interest. AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey is all set to speak to FSDL and convince the organisers of the ISL to defer the start of the tournament to early October in an attempt to ensure that India is allowed to field its best players in the Asian Games in national interest. With the clubs refusing to release the players, Coach Igor Stimac had finally said that he is “begging the clubs to release just two players each so that India can field a competitive team.” Now Chaubey as AIFF President is determined to find an amicable solution to ensure all sides are happy and national interest is served as paramount. Speaking to Boria Majumdar, he highlighted his concerns and the way forward:
Boria- We need a solution to this problem and the truth is no one is to be blamed. The Asian Games is outside the FIFA window and the clubs are very much entitled to what they are saying. And it is unfair on the coach and the national team that they don’t have the best players. If the results aren’t satisfactory fans won’t understand any of this and say that all the momentum we spoke about was a mirage.
Kalyan- I have to tell you something upfront. Each one of us, every stakeholder involved, is working in the interests of Indian football. There is no one here who has any other interest in mind. So the question of someone being at fault doesn’t even arise. Having said that every country has faced similar situations. If you remember ahead of the 2002 world cup there was almost a national debate in England over David Beckham when he had broken his metatarsal bone. Should he be rushed back for England or held back in the interests of the club? This has always been a debate. What I will do in my capacity as AIFF President is write and speak to FSDL and through them the club owners to agree to the deferring of the ISL by a period to early October so that we can field our best team. The Sports ministry made a special exception to send the team to the Games. There is huge national interest. It is our duty to send the best team while ensuring that the interests of the clubs aren’t hampered either.
Boria- So what’s the plan- you will write to them saying the deferral will mean no club misses players at the start of the ISL? If that happens, the entire issue of losing out on the services of the key players won’t arise. Also, it is a new broadcaster- Viacom 18, who I am sure you will have to convince.
Kalyan- Like I told you- all of us are stakeholders in Indian football. A strong club culture means a strong national team and vice versa. A strong national team means a strong ISL. Imagine what a good result in the Asian Games can do. It will mean huge interest in the ISL and the Merdeka and the world cup qualifiers. We all want the sport to grow and to do so there are certain decisions that you need to take where you go beyond the conventional. And I am sure that everyone will see reason here and agree to what is being proposed.
Boria- This will then mean Gurpreet and everyone else selected in the 22 member team can actually travel to Hangzhou.
Kalyan- Yes the idea is to ensure that. We have to keep in mind that we are all representatives of the nation here. The ministry made an exception to send the team in national interest. By doing so it has given football a real fillip. Now it is our turn to stand up and make sure we field our best team. At the same time if we push back the start of the ISL by a few days, we will be able to safeguard the interests of the clubs. No one club will have to suffer having released national team players and it is only fair that we ensure a level playing field at the start of the competition. We will all play as a team here and take Indian football forward.