The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has removed secretary-general Shaji Prabhakaran with immediate effect owing to a breach of trust.
The termination letter was sent to Prabhakaran on Tuesday evening and from Wednesday, Prabhakaran has stopped going to Football House, the headquarters of AIFF, in Dwarka near New Delhi.
“The All India Football Federation hereby announces the services of Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran have been terminated due to breach of trust with immediate effect,” according to an AIFF media release on Wednesday afternoon.
The decision was taken by AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, vice-president NA Harris and treasurer Kipa Ajay and comes two days before Thursday’s executive committee meeting.
Chaubey told media on Wednesday that AIFF members were not happy with Prabhakaran’s functioning. For now deputy secretary-general Satyanarayan M will take over Prabhakaran’s role, the AIFF release said. “A decision on Prabhakaran’s replacement will be taken by the members,” said Chaubey.
Prabhakaran did not wish to speak on this when HT sought a comment. But he has reached out to the executive committee, members confirmed to HT. In a message on an AIFF WhatsApp group, Prabhakaran has called his sacking “irresponsible.”
Only the executive committee can “dismiss or terminate” the general secretary, he has written. “Thus this termination has no constitutional validity.” HT has been the message.
“There must be some conspiracy behind the decision which I am not able to understand,” Prabhakaran has said after stating that he has given of his best and “protected our institution and the game.”
As elected members, you have the responsibility to ask the right questions to the chair, “not for me but for the good of the game,” he has written.
Appointed in September 2022 after Chaubey beat Bhaichung Bhutia 33-1, Prabhakaran is a former FIFA development officer and president of Football Delhi. Before moving to FIFA, he was AIFF’s director of the national teams from 2004 to 2009 and of the Vision Indian programme from 2006-09. Prabhakaran holds a PhD in physical education and sport from Gwalior’s Laxmibai National Institute of Physical Education where he defended a thesis on the state of football in India.
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