The first in Indian football history! An Indian executive joins as the General Secretary of a foreign national football association
Sudeep Pakrashi: Pushparghya Chattopadhyay created history silently. The football executive, as well as a sports consultant from India, more precisely from Bengal, with an overall experience of 15 years, has been appointed as the General Secretary of the Guyana Football Federation. Chattopadhyay, who joined GFF on 1st August, has been appointed as the General Secretary for three years. This appointment was the outcome of a comprehensive international recruitment process jointly conducted by the GFF and FIFA. The position attracted applications from over 40 candidates representing five of the six FIFA confederations. Through a structured, multi-phase evaluation, including interviews, technical assessments, and detailed background checks, a shortlist of six top candidates was established. Chattopadhyay was selected based on his outstanding credentials and clear alignment with the GFF’s strategic direction. Chattopadhyay, who started in Indian football as a manager of Mohun Bagan-SAIL Football Academy in 2010, worked as the Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Football Association (IFA) before joining GFF, and he also worked with All India Football Federation (AIFF) for almost 12 years, being in charge of some important departments. While speaking to Parallel Sports from Georgetown on a WhatsApp call on Wednesday, Chattopadhyay did not sound excited. Rather, he uttered, “Yes, obviously I am happy to have been appointed out of 40 applicants from five of six FIFA confederations. But I am looking forward to this assignment as I have always looked at my previous assignments.” Guyana’s national football team’s current FIFA ranking is 153rd. The history of Guyana national football team shows that they have never qualified for the final phase of the FIFA World Cup. The national team’s impressive performance came when they qualified for the Caribbean Nations Cup in 1991, raised their FIFA ranking to 86th in 2010, and qualified for the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the first time in March 2019. However, Guyana’s national team beat India’s senior national team 2-1 in a friendly match held in Georgetown on 25th August 2010 during India’s Caribbean tour. But Chattopadhyay does not seem to be concentrating on the improvement of the national team’s performance now. Rather, his focus is on the development of the country’s overall football, which includes three main issues like infrastructure development, the change in League structure, and grassroots development. “Guyana is going to have a massive economic growth soon. After the rich resources of petroleum and gas have been discovered in the country recently, big investors are coming to the country. On behalf of GFF, my aim is to utilize the rapidly-changing atmosphere and take football to a much better level,” explained Chattopadhyay. As football in the country is not as popular as cricket is, Guyana has only one senior-level football league. Talking about infrastructure, Georgetown has three stadiums where even international football matches took place, while outskirt of the town lacks the required infrastructural support. But according to Chattopahyay, “The famous Amazon rainforest is starting outside Georgetown, and I have information that several tribal boys who live within the forest are passionate about football. I have a desire to roam around the places and create infrastructural opportunities for them so that they can be part of GFF’s grass-roots development program in the future.”
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke diagnosed with skin cancer
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke took to Instagram on Wednesday (August 27) to share a post in which he confirmed that he underwent surgery to treat skin cancer. “Skin cancer is real! Especially in Australia, Another one cut out of my nose today. A friendly reminder to schedule a skin check. Prevention is better than a cure, but in my case, regular check-ups and early detection are key. So grateful that @drbishsoliman_ got it early. @australianskincancerfoundation,” captioned the post. According to 7news, the 44-year-old former Australian captain received his first diagnosis in 2006 and has had about a dozen cancers removed in the years since. He required surgery to remove a dangerous basal cell carcinoma from his chest last year. He had cancers cut out of his forehead and face on separate occasions in 2023. In 2023, he teamed up with the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation and told Sunrise that he tries to get checked twice a year. “Just about every time I need to get things zapped off my body, particularly my face, because I’ve spent so much time in the sun,” Clarke said. “I’ve probably had 20 skin cancers cut out of my body. I get nervous, but I think the advantage is I went from quite a young age, so now I know, minimum twice a year, I’ll make sure I go and get checked.” “Peace of mind is so important. Australian summer, this sun here is as strong as anywhere in the world.”
FIFA warns AIFF to adopt constitution or face suspension!
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) faces possible FIFA suspension over “third-party interference” unless it finalizes a revised constitution by 30th August. FIFA reportedly sent a strongly-worded letter to the AIFF, reminding the Indian body of its “obligation to manage its affairs independently and without any undue third-party influence, including government bodies.” A hearing in the Honorable Supreme Court is scheduled for Thursday, August 28. Before that date, FIFA has asked the AIFF to secure a definitive ruling that approves the AIFF constitution. The Indian body has also been instructed to align its constitution with FIFA and AFC statutes and regulations, without exception, all before the August 30 FIFA deadline. “This prolonged impasse has precipitated a governance and operational crisis. Clubs and players remain uncertain regarding the domestic competition calendar; commercial partnerships beyond December 2025 remain unconfirmed; and essential functions relating to development, competitions, and marketing are increasingly compromised. The resulting lack of financial stability has had a profoundly negative impact on India’s football ecosystem, particularly affecting footballers employed by clubs participating in the Indian Super League (ISL), which is organized under the auspices of the AIFF,” read the letter sent to the AIFF, according to the Indian Express. The deadlock between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) caused a delay in finalizing the Indian Super League schedule for the 2025-26 season. Both organizations are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, August 28, aiming to resolve this matter ahead of FIFA’s August 30 deadline.
