AIFF to be roadmap ready within the next 100 days × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout BOS - Business of Sports ISL 2022-23 Exclusive

AIFF looking to get a roadmap ready within the next 100 days says general secretary Mr Shaji Prabhakaran

By Nikhil Patwardhan Modified 22 Sep 2022 Follow Us Comment Share AIFF general secretary Mr. Shaji Prabhakaran (Image via Sportskeeda) The past few months have been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride for Indian football and the AIFF, including public disagreements, getting banned by FIFA, being surrounded by turmoil, and going through a change in leadership. The ban meant that the AIFF had to align with FIFA norms, which was not entirely the case in the recent past when the criteria put in place by the latter were disregarded in some capacity. But following the ban, developments picked up speed, and within no time, proper elections were held and a change in management was brought about. Many Indian football fans felt this was just the wake-up call the AIFF needed and hoped it heralded the start of something new. In an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda.com, the newly-appointed general secretary of the AIFF, Mr. Shaji Prabhakaran, discussed various aspects of Indian football and the recent events surrounding the AIFF, and offered a vision of the future that would see the betterment of AIFF and Indian football.

Excerpts from AIFF general secretary Mr Shaji Prabhakaran s conversation with Sportskeeda

Q Please elaborate on the immediate goals that the AIFF is looking to achieve and the implementations that they want to make

A: Our priority right now is to see how efficiently we can host the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in India this October. The preparations are going well and our major focus is on the tournament. We have daily meetings with the LOC and other stakeholders that are part of organizing the tournament. We are confident of hosting the tournament successfully and generating the best of interest in order to galvanize the support of women's football in India. Apart from the U-17 Women's World Cup, our major focus, under the new leadership, is to create a roadmap within 100 days, with another 90 days left. Odisha Sports@sports_odishaAhead of the #FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup India 2022, delegates of USA team visited the #KalingaStadium and the football training centres in Bhubaneswar.

They were accompanied by officials of DSYS & LOC.

#KickOfTheDream #U17WWC677Ahead of the #FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup India 2022, delegates of USA team visited the #KalingaStadium and the football training centres in Bhubaneswar.They were accompanied by officials of DSYS & LOC.#KickOfTheDream #U17WWC https://t.co/2rmFY7BEMi

Q What are your thoughts on the recent ban that the AIFF faced from FIFA and did you feel it was always on the cards

A: That was an unfortunate situation for all of us but it's in the past, and there is no point in commenting on the past. Everyone has moved on, there is a new executive committee in place, and everyone has to look to deliver on the expectations.

Q What kind of strategies is the AIFF looking at to build a strong administrative unit

A: These strategies will be defined in our roadmap, as to what kind of team we pick and how we restructure everything in order to establish a strong administrative unit. We have to wait till the roadmap is in the implementation stage, wherein the strategies will be clearly defined, transparent, dynamic, and agile in every way. Kalyan Chaubey@kalyanchaubeyOfficials of #AIFF & #FSDL met in Delhi to discuss the way ahead for #IndianFootball

To formulate joint strategies to take #IndianFootballForwardTogether

The discussion was for jointly carving out a roadmap for Indian Football to take it to greater heights

@Shaji4Football27619Officials of #AIFF & #FSDL met in Delhi to discuss the way ahead for #IndianFootballTo formulate joint strategies to take #IndianFootballForwardTogether The discussion was for jointly carving out a roadmap for Indian Football to take it to greater heights@Shaji4Football https://t.co/sRGyZj9zKn

Q How do you feel the viewership of Indian football can be made more attractive for the fans to turn up in large numbers

A: There is a huge scope of engaging fans but we have to do things differently. We have to communicate about Indian football really well, be ready with broadcasters for the majority of our games, create a good build-up, and engage the fans and other stakeholders so that we get a capacity crowd and maximum viewership when we host. Our priority will be to create value and a better experience for our fans.

Q Indian football leagues like the ISL and I-League bring in the flavor of franchise football so how can the AIFF function in order to increase the marketability of those leagues the way the IPL or Pro Kabaddi League has done

A: On that front, we have to sit with our partners, FSDL, and other clubs, and then formulize a plan on what all implementations can be made considering our strengths and experiences across the years. There is an opportunity to grow in that vertical, but we first have to devise a plan that would take us to a level where we are able to increase footfall beyond the boundaries of India. Indian Super League@IndSuperLeague#HeroISL fans are all excited to return to the stands and cheer for their teams both at home and away!

#LetsFootball #FansAreBack452#HeroISL fans are all excited to return to the stands and cheer for their teams both at home and away! #LetsFootball #FansAreBack https://t.co/OaDhwGRO3y

Q Can you comment on the FSDL & AIFF s partnership and how it can turn out to be effective for Indian football

A: For more than 12 years, the AIFF and FSDL have been in a stable partnership that will just keep getting better going forward. We have to work as a team to strategize what is best for Indian football, and with them [FSDL] being our major partners in football development and owning the commercial rights, we will be developing Indian football in close collaboration with them. Indian Super League@IndSuperLeagueWe are happy to announce that the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga have partnered with Football Sports Development Limited to implement global best practices in Indian Football!

indiansuperleague.com/press-releases…

#HeroISL #LetsFootball @Bundesliga_EN @DFL_Official61254We are happy to announce that the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga have partnered with Football Sports Development Limited to implement global best practices in Indian Football! indiansuperleague.com/press-releases…#HeroISL #LetsFootball @Bundesliga_EN @DFL_Official https://t.co/ZyKBFluseZ

Q Since you have been the president of a state football association how can you relate to your learnings in that role and holistically implement them for all the state football associations as the general secretary of the AIFF

A: Every experience counts and the experience of being the Delhi Football Association president for four years will definitely be of great assistance in terms of making the right decisions. Every state has different opportunities and challenges, so the same strategies cannot be adopted everywhere. We have to analyze every state differently, communicate with the experts that are running the affairs over there, and get insights about the ground realities before implementing whatever strategies are decided. Every state association will have a major say in terms of decision-making for their respective states, and the national federation will support each and every one of them.

Q For the first time an ex-Indian footballer Kalyan Chaubey is the AIFF president How does that help the AIFF function better as a unit and what difference does he bring to the table

A: The current president being an ex-international and having played for different top clubs comes in handy as it offers a better understanding of ground realities. This assists in effective decision-making and it is a definite strength for Indian football to have somebody with that experience as president.

Q Lastly what would be your message to the sports industry professionals working in football on how they can contribute towards growing Indian football

A: There is a lot of work to be done in Indian Football and everyone can contribute. At whatever level one's working at, they should work with honesty and be practical in their approach. Everyone has to work as a team. There are a lot of opportunities coming and a lot of work to be done. Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Sandeep Banerjee × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular ‍ Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeScheduleT20 World CupT20 warm upIND vs SAENG vs PAKAUS vs ENGLegends LeagueECS T10 CroatiaWBBL 2022ECC T10SMAT 2022Bukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022ECT10 FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Crown Jewel 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxFree PicksSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी