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

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.