The Presidential election of All India Football Federation was held today, September 2 after a months-long drama. In this election process, the AIFF got suspended by the FIFA for alleged 'third-party affairs' which saw Indian clubs suffering on foreign soil. However, after the intervention from both the Supreme Court and the Central government, the suspension on AIFF was lifted a few days ago. Today, alongside other candidates, Bhaichung Bhutia and Kalyan Chaubey were fighting against each other in the race to be the new president of AIFF. And in this run, Chaubey came first and became the new president of the national organization of football, putting an end to Praful Patel's reign.

Kalyan Chaubey is a Kolkata-born former Indian footballer, who is also a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal. He has a 15-year-long professional career in Indian football in which he represented top teams like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Salgaocar. The 46-year-old new AIFF president is the five-time runner-up in both I-League and National Football League. Chaubey played a vital role as goalie in the Indian football team that won South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship in 1999 and 2005. The Bengal BJP leader is also the son-in-law of the late Anjan Mutra, a former official of Mohun Bagan. Kalyan Chaubey Elected New AIFF President

Facts About Kalyan Chaubey:

  • Kalyan Chaubey was elected the new president of AIFF in 2022.

  • He became the 11th president in the national football governing body.

  • He is a former goalkeeper of the Indian Football Team.

  • He was part of team India that won SAFF Championship in 1999 and 2005.

  • He is BJP party leader in West Bengal.

  • He played for both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.

  • He is the son-in-law of the late Anjan Mitra, a former Indian footballer.

  • Chaubey had undergone trials with German club Karlsruher.

  • He has a 15-year-long professional career in Indian football.

Kalyan Chaubey had to win the election at AIFF, defeating more than 25 potential candidates for the presidential post. His most fierce rival in the election was former Indian captain Bhaichung Bhutia who was considered to be the new head of the national football body by many before the vote counting started. As Chaubey was a footballer, it is expected that he would take Indian football to new heights in his reign.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 02, 2022 03:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).