Beyond The Goal

I guess the Indian football federation or their bosses at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) should be aware of Iraq's current situation. You don't have to be an elderly statesman to know what is Iraq today. You sit in Geneva or at Kuala Lumpur or even in Delhi, everybody is aware of Iraq's current political turmoil. But I would like to know if AIFF or any of the AFC officials have recently been to the strife-torn nation. It's not an exotic hot sea beach of Mauritius or an expedition to Masai Mara. Iraq is all about a terror-filled nation. Killings, bombings continue to hit hard. I guess, the football officials would definitely skip even a sponsored tour to Iraq. Then why send some innoncent young footballers to Iraq particularly after the countinuous upsurge in violence in recent years. Why did they shift India's Group C matches to Iraq? Is it all about football promotion or ensuring a 'genuine' vote for the next AFC elections. Is it a sheer lack of vis...

It didn't surprise anyone. Not even me. That Mr Praful Patel won't be announcing the dates for the already pending interviews of those who had already applied for secretary and CEO posts. It's been three months now. Once again, Mr Alberto Colaco has been given an extension till December. While some say it has been deliberately done because of political pressure, others still hope that the dates will come out soon. Whatever the reasons may be, it was not what we all had waited to beat Delhi's evening traffic and reach on time at the IRDA Complex. It seems that the media and the entire football fraternity has been fooled by AIFF mandarins. Why the AIFF's Executive Committee keep pushing the interview dates, I still fail to understand. Well, I guess it is all about the murky politics that is being played inside the corner rooms of Football House. Just before the AGM and Ex Co meeting on Oct 20, important officials were given cushy assignments like foreign tours. While ...