Former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia has criticized All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey over alleged derogatory remarks concerning players from Northeast India. Bhutia condemned the comments as “stupid” and suggested that Chaubey, who has no experience playing for the national team, is out of touch with the realities of Indian football.
Chaubey reportedly stated that while Northeast players possess speed and skill, their shorter stature is a disadvantage in international competitions. He suggested that the focus should shift towards recruiting taller players from Rajasthan. “His comments about Northeast players being short and not good enough are shocking,” Bhutia remarked.
Chaubey has denied making these statements, asserting that he has never commented on players from specific regions. “It’s completely fake news. I haven’t commented anything on the players from the Northeast,” he tweeted, linking to an Indian Express article that he claimed misrepresented his words.
Following the controversy, the AIFF issued a statement refuting the claims attributed to Chaubey, expressing surprise over the remarks and asserting that he has never made such statements publicly. The federation emphasized its commitment to supporting footballers across India, stating, “Indian football, as always, stands united with footballers from across the country.”
The issue has escalated, drawing criticism from media outlets. The Indian Football Team for World Cup (IFTWC) expressed disappointment over what they labeled a “malicious attempt” by the AIFF to damage their reputation. They pointed out that Chaubey’s alleged comments were initially reported by the Indian Express but were later updated to exclude the controversial statement.
“AIFF’s attempt at damage control further reflects the poor state of affairs and demands a revamp of administration,” IFTWC stated.
Mokokchung Times picked up the story and uploaded it on October 6 at 11:13 AM, following the report carried by The Indian Express, one of India’s most trusted English-language news outlets, the same news shared by Chaubey on X. However, this article has since been updated, now showing “Updated: October 6, 2024, 13:35 IST,” and it no longer mentions the purported “controversial” comment.
“The quote by Kalyan Chaubey was picked up from an article by the Indian Express. The same article has been updated by Indian Express now, removing the mentioned statement. AIFF’s attempt at damage control further reflects the poor state of affairs and demands a revamp of administration,” IFTWC stated.
Meanwhile, tensions between Bhutia and Chaubey have been ongoing since Chaubey’s victory over Bhutia in the 2022 AIFF presidential elections. Bhutia has been vocal in his criticism of Chaubey’s leadership, questioning the effectiveness of the decision to switch team travel from trains to flights, calling it a superficial fix.
Moreover, Bhutia criticized the selection of Manolo Marquez as national team coach, alleging that the process bypassed the technical committee, which should have been involved in the decision-making. He cited his resignation from the committee as a direct result of this, stating, “If you’re going to appoint coaches this way, what’s the point of having a technical committee?”
He also highlighted the mishandling of former coach Igor Stimac’s departure, revealing that the AIFF now faces a financial burden of `4 crores in compensation. “This was complete mismanagement by the President. If handled properly, we could have avoided such a financial loss,” Bhutia added.
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