Kalyan Chaubey on Friday beat Bhaichung Bhutia in the AIFF election to become the first former player to helm the body in its 85-year existence. While Bhutia did not win the vote, he has been co-opted into a committee of eminent former players who have been tasked with helping take the game forward in India. Bhutia, speaking to NDTV, said that it was “not a good result”, but congratulated Chaubey and said he and the other former players in the committee will always be there to support him.

“It’s not been a good result but first of all I would like to congratulate Kalyan. I hope he does a great job,” Bhutia told NDTV. “Secondly I would like to thank every football fan who has supported me over the past few weeks. I think it’s been tremendous support. So thank you everyone.”

“I think I will continue to work, because before the elections also I was working in football,” he said.

“I think we all have to work together to take the game forward.  Think that’s very, very important. And hopefully it will be a great team and we’ll continue to work,” he said about the committee he has been co-opted to.

Promoted

And will Bhaichung Bhutia be preparing an agenda to present to the new AIFF boss?

“I think he will have to come up with the agenda and we will always be there to support him. There are six prominent players in the committee, so that support will always be there,” he said.