Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia, Shaji Prabhakaran, Kalyan Chaubey filed their nominations for the president's post in the upcoming All India Football Federation (AIFF) elections, scheduled to be held here on August 28.
Bhutia's name was proposed by his friend and teammate Deepak Mondal and seconded by Madhu Kumari who is part of the electoral college as an 'eminent' player.
Former player Kalyan Chaubey too has filed the nomination for top job and emerged as the front runner in the race. Also filing the nominations are former player Eugeneson Lyngdoh (Meghalaya football association) and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's brother Ajit Banerjee. The deadline for filing nominations ends on August 19, 2022.
The AIFF elections to the executive committee are to be held here on August 28.
Chaubey has entered the fray as a normal candidate and that could strengthen his chances for the top job as FIFA is not in favour of the country's apex body being run by eminent players.
FIFA on Tuesday suspended India for "undue influence from third parties" and said the U-17 Women's World Cup "cannot currently be held in India as planned.
"The Bureau of the FIFA Council has unanimously decided to suspend the All India Football Federation (AIFF) with immediate effect due to undue influence from third parties, which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes," stated an official media release, issued by FIFA.
The suspension will be lifted once an order to set up a committee of administrators to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee has been repealed and the AIFF administration regains full control of the AIFF's daily affairs, it said.