Jaydeep Basu @jaydeepbasu

AIFF AND THE ASIAN GAMES FIASCO India’s non-participation in the 2026 Asian Games football tournament is certainly a disappointment. A bigger disappointment is the unflappable stance displayed by the AIFF in accepting the sports ministry's decision. It’s a classic example of its lacklustre mindset and complete disregard for Indian football’s historic association with Asian Games football. If sources are to be believed, not one appeal the AIFF made to the ministry requesting a change of mind; not one letter it wrote urging the men’s and women’s teams may at least be cleared on a “no cost to the government” basis. It never pointed out that the women’s team, which qualified for the Asian Cup, deserves the Asian Games exposure for their future progress. AIFF has time for plenty of stinking agenda-based nonsense, from attempting to change “India” to “Bharat” to amending the constitution to allow its employees to continue beyond 60 years of age. But it has no time to negotiate with the government for Asian Games clearance, which would have done a huge favour to India’s under-23 footballers. The government's reluctance to disallow the football teams from participation because of non-performance is nothing new. It happened in the previous Asian Games too. Huge social media pressure initiated by the fans, coach Igor Stimac’s open letter to the Prime Minister and the AIFF's regular talks with the ministry resulted in the decision being reversed. In 1962, the government initially didn’t clear the football team for two reasons. First, the team didn’t win a medal in the 1954 and 1958 Asian Games. Second, the country was facing a shortage of foreign exchange. The AIFF president and secretary lobbied hard within the ruling party and managed to take things to the level of the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. Finally, the government cleared a team of 16 players and one coach. No assistant coach, no manager. The team returned with the gold medal. William Shakespeare said, "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is/To have a thankless child!” Should we say the same about the current lot of Indian football officials? #IndianFootball

AIFF: PK BANERJEE + ROOTLESS GRASSROOTS Three years ago, the All India Football Federation earmarked June 23 as the AIFF Grassroots Day for two reasons. First, it's the Foundation Day of the AIFF. Last but not the least, it's the birth anniversary of the Late PK Banerjee, the legendary footballer and coach. While making the announcement, the AIFF president, Kalyan Chaubey, said, "Grassroots is at the very heart of the plan we are executing here at the Federation, and there is no better day than the 87th birth anniversary of our dear Pradeep da (PK Banerjee) to earmark our journey to make India a successful footballing nation. “Pradeep da was truly one of the finest players of his days, and contributed so much to Indian Football, even after retiring from the game. This is also the AIFF’s Foundation Day, which makes it a perfect occasion to celebrate the very tool – Grassroots – with which we can push football ahead in India.” But then, promises are meant to be broken. Three years down the line, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, remained an uneventful day in the AIFF calendar. None bothered to remember PK, Foundation Day was conveniently forgotten, grassroots were swept under the grass. PK Banerjee's stunning right footer in the 1962 Asian Games final was hugely responsible for the Indian National Anthem to be played for the last time during the podium ceremony in a continental football tourney. But in today's AIFF, he is a disposable man. Celebrating his birth anniversary doesn't bring any political benefit to the table. #IndianFootball #IndiaSports #YASMinistry

ISL MANAGING COMMITTEE WARY OF OCI RULE The Indian Super League (ISL) clubs are upset over the All India Football Federation’s decision to cut down the foreign quota in the ISL from four to three in the starting eleven so that the clubs can recruit one OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) footballer. During an informal meeting of the ISL managing committee on Monday, which included a senior AIFF official, the clubs said the rule gave an impression that the federation was firing a gun from someone else’s shoulder to fulfil an agenda. According to a club official, the managing committee members pointed out that it was an unwise decision to frame such a rule since recruiting an OCI player of the required quality at the right price is always a difficult task. At the same time, the number of OCI players definitely capable of delivering the goods is not exactly encouraging. Some people present in the meeting felt the AIFF may have a plan to build a stronger national team in the future on the strength of some of these OCI players in the ISL, but it may go astray because there is no guarantee the selected players would agree to discard their current passports to don the Indian jersey. Ironically, while trying to pacify the clubs, the AIFF official present in the meeting said it was only a proposal and the final decision was yet to come. His assurance was definitely contrary to the press release issued by the AIFF that maintained the rule was “proposed and approved." Surprisingly, the AIFF is yet to come out with any list of OCI players despite claiming on several occasions that it was ready. It has also failed to appoint a committee with the technical expertise to scout OCI players. The rumour is that a senior official is boasting on a list prepared and supplied by a couple of footballers’ agents. #IndianFootball #IndiaSports #YASMinistry

AIFF: THE INDIA VS BHARAT DEBATE The AIFF press release on Saturday, June 20, 2026, regarding renaming the body is somewhat confusing. It said, “It was further resolved that a proposal be submitted to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) for renaming the All India Football Federation (AIFF) as the Football Federation of Bharat (FFB).” According to AIFF sources, a senior office bearer came up with the name change proposal “out-of-agenda” during the Special General Meeting (SGM) on Saturday. It was met with technical objections from a former senior office bearer, leading to a brief discussion. The proposal was not put on vote and was not passed. The press release, however, created a different impression. The release also paved the way for raising a few questions. First and foremost, the change of name was never part of the SGM agenda. Most of the members were taken aback by the sudden proposal. Can a serious matter like this be mentioned so casually and put on the official website with a misleading statement? Doesn't this matter merit a special meeting and a longer debate? Second, as per the FIFA rule, the change of the member association’s name should be cleared by the MA’s general body and then by the national government before the world body takes a call on it. How can this be sent to the MYAS before receiving the general body's nod? Third, AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey cited the examples of the change of federations’ names in Türkiye and Czechia. In both federations it was necessitated after the names of the countries were officially changed. In India, several flagship initiatives of the government are named Skill India, Startup India, and Make in India, not to forget about Khelo India. The undue haste shown in trying to shift from Bharat to India, especially when several burning issues are waiting to be addressed, leaves one bewildered. It would be interesting to know whose acute sense of insecurity coupled with desperation to earn a few brownie points in the corridors of power is taking this 90-year-old institution on the verge of collapse. @IndianFootball @IndiaSports @YASMinistry

EXCO MEMBER CALLS AIFF SGM "ILLEGAL". The AIFF Special General Meeting (SGM) held on Saturday, June 20, 2026, ran into rough weather as one of the Executive Committee members has threatened to approach the court of law alleging the meeting was “prima facie illegal” and “contemptuous” of the Supreme Court judgement. In a letter sent minutes before the start of the virtual meeting, the Exco member stated that according to the constitution approved by the Supreme Court on September 19, 2025, and adopted by the AIFF on October 12, 2025, the General Body should include 15 eminent players, three club representatives (one each from ISL, I-League, and IWL), two representatives from referees (one male and one female), and two representatives from coaches (one male and one female), as outlined in Article 20.2 of the constitution. Pointing out that the AIFF has failed to follow the directives of the country’s apex court, the member further said that the AIFF has failed to constitute the National Players’ Association, National Coaches’ Association and National Referees’ Association as mandated in the constitution despite calling for applications in December 2025. “Any further amendment to the AIFF Constitution or any decision on constitutional matters done without first constituting the General Body in terms of the judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court is prima facie illegal, and the actions are contemptuous of the said judgement," the letter said. #IndianFootball

INDIA AND FIFA WORLD CUP: HANUZ DILLI DURAST Once in every four years, the Indian media (a section of the foreign media, too) wake up to the bell of the FIFA World Cup and start asking a hackneyed question. If the smallest of nations like Uruguay, Croatia, Cape Verde, or Curaçao can play in the World Cup, then why can't a huge country like India? What exactly has gone wrong? I can't vouch for others, but I have faced this question at least half a dozen times during every World Cup in the past 20 years. I am sick and tired of answering them. Last night, a TV channel asked me the same thing. Why can't a nation of 1.4 million people qualify for the World Cup, which has expanded to a 48-team competition? I wish the TV channel had called former India chief coach Bob Houghton as a guest expert instead of me. He once told me, "The very argument of having a 1.4 million population is a joke. You hardly ever make an effort to use that to your advantage. "Your domestic structure is too small. There are only 12 or 13 teams in the top league. If you leave out the goalkeepers, then with four foreigners figuring in the starting eleven of each team, you are left with 70 to 80 Indian footballers in the outfield. Yet, you wish to compete with the best in the world with such a small pool of players? "Perhaps Luxembourg has a bigger pool of players to choose from for the National Team," Houghton said. Hardly anyone reminds the World Cup place hunters that a 48-team competition means little to India, who are ranked 26th in Asia. In the ongoing World Cup, only nine (8+1) top Asian teams are participating; India can't even dream of finding a place in that elite company. India should now make a serious effort to find a place in the top 16 in Asia, something that will allow them to get a better draw for senior competitions. It's an onerous mission to accomplish that may take years. Thereafter, India can start dreaming of playing in the World Cup from Asia. Until then, we should stop asking the oft-repeated question before every World Cup. It bores one to death. Remember what Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya said nearly seven hundred years ago. "Hanuz Dilli Dur Ast." #IndianFootball

STORY | Indian shooting coach Jaspal Rana dies at 49 Renowned Indian shooting coach and former Asian Games gold medallist Jaspal Rana has died. He was 49. According to National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, Rana breathed his last at a Delhi hospital on Thursday night. READ: ptinews.com/story/sports/i… (PTI File Photo)

COACHES' PARADE IN AIFF A highly interesting game of Musical Chairs for all National Teams coaching positions is being conducted by the Kalyan Chaubey-M Satynarayan combination over the past three years. Here is the list: Senior Men (3): Igor Stimac, Manolo Marquez, Khalid Jamil Senior Women (6): Thomas Dennerby, Chaoba Devi, Santosh Kashyap, Crispin Chettri, Amelia Valverde, Crispin Chettri (back again) U23 Men (2): Clifford Miranda, Naushad Moosa U20 Men (5): Shanmugam Venkatesh, Subhendu Panda, Ranjan Chowdhury, Bibiano Fernandes, Mahesh Gawli U17 Men (3): Bibiano Fernandes, Ishfaq Ahmed, Bibiano Fernandes (back again) U20 Women (3): Maymol Rocky, Sukla Dutta, Joakim Alexandersson U17 Women (4): Priya PV, Biby Thomas, Joakim Alexandersson, Pamela Conti #IndianFootball

A SATISFYING WIN IN WOMEN’S SAFF India’s victory in the #SAFFWomensChampionship2026 in Goa came as a double delight. While regaining the title after seven years is a matter of relief for a team that once enjoyed hegemony over the region, it is also a triumph from an organisational point of view. In the previous edition in October 2024 in Kathmandu, where India crashed out of the semi-finals, losing to the hosts, the atmosphere was hardly ideal. A goal by Nepal, disallowed by the referee, saw the match held up for nearly an hour. While the host team players refused to continue, a rather aggressive and partisan crowd made the situation worse. The Indian players and support staff were loudly booed and abused. Stones and bottles were thrown at them. Understandably, the Indian girls lost their rhythm and the match when it was resumed. A similar incident was witnessed in Dhaka in February 2024 in the Women’s SAFF U19 championship. Here the situation was more volatile. After the full time and the tie-breaker ended in a draw, the Indian contingent was forced to stay confined in the dressing room as the organisers couldn’t take a decision because of sheer crowd pressure at the BSSSMK Stadium. After a two-hour drama, India were nearly forced to accept the decision to be declared joint winners. It was simply a bitter pill to swallow. Both episodes raised serious doubts about the organisational capabilities of certain member associations. On both occasions, official protests should have been lodged considering the plights of the Indian girls, but the spineless AIFF officials shied away from protecting their players. Congratulations to Crispin Chettri and his wards for bringing back the smiles on the faces of the fans. #IndianFootball

ISL CLUBS’ MEETING WITH SPORTS MINISTER The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has written to the ISL clubs inviting them for a meeting on Monday, June 8, at 3 pm. The meeting to be held at the Sports Authority of India office in Delhi at 3 pm will be chaired by the sports minister. The email inviting the clubs for the meeting doesn’t specify the agenda items. #IndianFootball

TEMPORARY ROADBLOCK IN CLUBS-AIFF ISL DEAL? The proposed implementation of a two-year club-led ISL pilot model has reportedly developed a few hitches in the past 48 hours. While the clubs are eager to clinch a deal on a flat payment of Rs. 15 crore per season and walk away with the rights to run the ISL, the AIFF, it is believed, wants additional payments to cover up for the expenses it would face as the regulatory body. It majorly includes the professional, travel, and logistical payments of the technical officials. With a former senior AIFF office bearer taking unusual interest in batting for the clubs (if the sources are to be believed), some feel his sheer clout and influence would see the deal through. But the real problem lies elsewhere; it is the trust factor that is causing the trouble. While a few in the AIFF are sceptical about the clubs running the ISL after struggling to keep their respective clubs afloat, many among the clubs think the monumental inefficiency and the agenda-based functioning of the three top officials in the parent body hold the arrant weight to bring the entire structure down (a view shared by nearly everyone in the fraternity). It is sincerely hoped that the minor differences would be ironed out and the season would start in right earnest. #IndianFootball

ISL BID: A TWIST TO THE RIGMAROLE Amidst confusion over the lack of players’ contracts and calendar for the new season, the ISL clubs have reportedly stepped up their offer to acquire the commercial rights of the ISL. According to sources, the ISL clubs have proposed a two-season deal to run the premier league with a guaranteed amount of Rs. 15 crores per season to be paid to the AIFF. The offer is two crores more than the one the AIFF currently has on hand. With the highly inflated players’ payment market of Indian football currently witnessing a downfall only comparable to the Wall Street crash of 1929 and several clubs publicly threatening a shutdown, the practicality of the said offer may raise serious doubts among many in the fraternity. But the Zen Buddha-like calmness (read inactivity) of the AIFF bosses in response to the emergency situation has not helped the cause. Hope the AIFF wake up from its slumber and engage into a serious dialogue with the clubs when they are expected to meet on Thursday. #IndianFootball

India Fall 1-0 to Zimbabwe || Poor Performance, Zero Confidence Under Kh... youtube.com/live/ol0oSPpFq… via @YouTube from 9.45 PM Live with @SayanSarkar62 @jaydeepbasu Join us and share your views.

You've got to move when the spirit say move,/Move when the spirit say move!/When the spirit say move, Oh Lord,/you've got to move,/you got to move when the spirit say move.

SOUMO GHOSH: Take a bow Our dear friend, Soumo Ghosh, has decided to bid adieu to the virtually impossible job of managing the unmanageable, i.e., the Indian football media circus, and try his luck elsewhere on the western coast. A copybook media man, he played his innings with a straight bat, took a lot in his stride, and refused to sell his conscience despite many provocations. An instantly loveable soul and remarkably good at his job, Soumo’s search for greener pastures would definitely pay dividends; his professionalism would finally be acknowledged, respected, and rewarded. We sincerely wish him all the luck! @soumo17 @akhilrwt9 @SrutiC_16 @DEBANJA1234 @IndianFootball

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Post ISL: Indian Football Plunges Into Darkness || IFF NEWS EXCLUSIVE youtube.com/live/_BcfpDJBl… via @YouTube With @jaydeepbasu @SayanSarkar62

NO ISL COMMERCIAL DEAL YET The AIFF SGM in Kolkata on Saturday, May 23, 2026, didn't approve the proposed ISL commercial bid from Genius Sports. It will be taken up by the AIFF Exco once again and the decision would be sent to the SGM for its final call. #IndianFootball