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.
Russian swimmer missing in Turkey!
Nikolai Svechnikov, a Russian swimmer, 29-year-old, has gone missing during an open-water race in Turkey. Nikolai reportedly failed to reach the final line of the 6.5km Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim on Sunday night, which had more than 2800 athletes competing from 81 countries. Organizers told the Russian state agency RIA Novosti that he may have suffered fatigue, a cramp or been carried off by currents, while relatives insisted he was in good health and had trained for months. The Bosphorus is a natural strait in Turkey that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, dividing the city of Istanbul and forming the continental boundary between Europe and Asia. Much chaos has ensued since. The swimmer’s friend has been quoted by RIA Novosti as saying that the first stage of the search began only two hours after the end of the competition: “Nikolai arrived in Istanbul to participate in the swim. His wife wrote to me at 17:00 that Nikolai still had not arrived. No one took any action until 16:00, they started searching from that time.” Nikolai Svechnikov’s wife has also reportedly flown out to Turkey to seek help from the Russian embassy. “The coast guard told me verbally: Be assured, all services are searching for Nikolai. I cried and begged them to show me video footage or a search point. They just took my number and repeated: ‘Don’t worry, we’re looking for him,’” a relative told RIA Novosti.
ISL’s best assistant referee disappointed with ‘new guideline’ for the referees; AIFF unlikely to implement it
Sudeep Pakrashi: Kishan Chand Joshi wants to say goodbye to referring! The reason is the All India Football Federation’s new policy on referees by its referee committee. The new policy that was surprisingly circulated to the country’s some category-1 and category-2 referees in WhatsApp messages said that the referees who failed to pass the Fitness Test twice for the 2024-25 season would be demoted from their respective categories in the 2025-26 season. The Delhi-based referee who received the award of best assistant referee of the ISL 2022-23 raises voice against the policy. While speaking to Parallel Sports from Delhi on Tuesday, Joshi said, “Yes, I failed the Fitness Test, conducted in August last year. Then a Fitness test was again conducted just before the ISL and I passed that. I also failed the same Fitness Test, held in July this year. “But does that mean a category-2 referee would be dropped to category-6? If you fail the final in the 12th standard examination, do you start studying from the fifth standard? Or are you asked to prepare for the examination in the fifth standard? Couldn’t it have been realistic that they demoted me from category-2 to category-3 for failing in the Fitness Test instead of category-6?” The 41-year-old referee, who is also surprised to have seen the AIFF Referees’ Committee’s decision, asked, “Even after failing in the Fitness Test last year, how was I allowed to officiate nine ISL matches, including a Play-Off match and five I-League matches last season?” Kishan concluded, “I do not want to continue refereeing. I am 41 years old. I have no regrets. I worked as both an assistant and a match-officiating referee in the country’s top-tier football as well as internationally. But if nobody stands against this unfair policy now, it will continue to affect future generations of referees. Someone has to stand up for what is right.” However, it is believed that the AIFF referees’ Committee is unlikely to implement the ‘new guidelines’ of drastically demoting the referees from their respective categories. It is also believed that retainment of referees in their respective categories is likely to be implemented and it is waiting for th approval from executive committee.
Khalid Jamil says Chhetri likely to be called up before Asian Cup qualifier in October
Chief coach of present senior national team Khalid Jamil revealed during the media conference held in Bengaluru on Monday that Sunil Chhetri who returned to senior national team breaking his international retirement, but not included in the present senior national team, is likely to be called up again before India’s all-important Asian Cup qualifier against Singapore in October. Jamil, on the day before senior national team’s departure for Hisor, Tajikistan to participate in the CAFA Nations Cup, said, “I had talks with Sunil. He assured he would be available for the senior national team’s next Asian Cup qualifying match against Singapore in October, this year.” On the challenges in CAFA Nations Cup, he said, “Yes, we have information on Tajikistan, IR Iran, and Afghanistan. They are strong sides and have done well recently. But we must focus on our own game and be mentally prepared. The key is belief and playing as a unit. There is improvement, but it will take time. Focus should also be given to juniors alongside seniors, to build a strong future.” India will face hosts Tajikistan (August 29), IR Iran (September 1), and Afghanistan (September 4) in Group B of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, in Hisor, Tajikistan. The group winners will play the final in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, while the two second-placed teams in each group will face off in the third-place match. Jamil stressed the importance of unity and professionalism in the team. He said, “The players are professionals. Once they enter the ground, they are focussed. For me, there is no excuse. Everyone is working hard. We will play as a team, adapt with whoever is available, and give opportunities for new players to prove themselves and become stars.”
Senior national team announced; Gurpreet back after eight months
Khalid Jamil announced his first squad for the CAFA Nations Cup, opting to leave out veteran Sunil Chhetri in order to test new forwards. Meanwhile, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu makes his return to the Indian team after an eight-month absence. Sandhu last played for India in the 1-1 friendly against Malaysia in November. Marquez had preferred Vishal Kaith for recent fixtures earlier this year, including back-to-back defeats to Thailand and Hong Kong in June. Gurpreet expressed his renewed motivation via social media: ‘A familiar frame, but it feels a bit different now. The desire, the hunger to go out there every day wearing our nation’s badge has become even more intense.’ Mohun Bagan Super Giants have not released players like Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Deepak Tangri, Manvir Singh, and Liston Colaco for the tournament, citing their obligation to adhere only to the official FIFA international match calendar when releasing players. However, the final squad for the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 has an interesting mix of young and experienced players. The 23-year-old FC Goa goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari has secured his place in the national team squad. The talented custodian had an impressive last season in the Indian Super League. Amrinder Singh is another option in the squad for the goalkeeping role. India’s defense has some predictable names, including the experienced Sandesh Jhingan, who will have the responsibility to marshal the defense against formidable opponents. His centre-back partner, Anwar Ali, is also in the squad. The East Bengal centre back recently joined the camp after the Durand Cup campaign. The versatile Rahul Bheke is another familiar name in the squad who is expected to play either as centre-back or right-back. The full-back roles will see relatively new faces. Punjab FC left-back Muhammed Uvais will don the Indian colours for the first time. Valpuia and Naorem Roshan Singh have also kept their place in the squad. Midfield is one area where India might struggle, as some senior players are not available for the tournament. Players like Nikhil Prabhu, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Danish Farooq, Jeakson Singh, and Borish Singh will be seen operating in the centre of the park. There are no surprising calls from Khalid Jamil when it comes to wide forwards. The task of creating chances on the wings will be undertaken by the likes of Ashique Kuruniyan, Udanta Singh, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Jithin MS, and Lallianzuala Chhangte. With Sunil Chhetri absent from the squad, the Number 9 role presents the biggest gap to fill. Khalid Jamil will turn to young faces, including Jamshedpur FC striker Manvir Singh, who will make his debut, to lead t lead the line in the 8-nation tournament. Irfan Yadwad, who made his first international appearance against Malaysia last year, and Vikram Partap Singh are also set to compete for the striker’s role. India faces Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan on 29th August, 1st and 4th September. Jamil had announced 35 players for the training camp that started on August 15at the Dravid-Padukone Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru.
Ten I-League clubs request promotion-relegation in new MRA; Inter Kashi, Churchill Brothers missing from letter
Ten I-League clubs wrote to the amicus curiae of the AIFF constitution case, which is pending in the Supreme Court, on Sunday, requesting promotion and relegation in the next season of the Indian Super League. According to a report from Sportstar, the clubs in a letter to senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan and advocate Samar Bansal have written, “We may mention that we are not parties before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in this ongoing litigation, but remain acutely affected by it,” “As things stand, the AIFF’s inability to sign a new Master Rights Agreement (MRA) with FSDL Football Sports Development Limited has led to a virtual suspension of all leagues below ISL as well,” the 10 sides wrote. “Due to the pending court case, the undersigned clubs have not received any engagement from the AIFF. “This information asymmetry is creating significant difficulties, which include but are not limited to playing calendar, fixture finalization, venue confirmation, broadcasting, and production costs, sports technology investments, club entry fees, subsidy structures, and budget provisioning, prize money structure and league composition,” the clubs wrote. Secondly, the clubs warned against the ISL becoming a ‘closed league’. Earlier in March, FSDL had proposed a draft for a fresh MRA that involved a 10-year moratorium on promotion/relegation from ISL to lower tiers. The 10 clubs are Aizawl FC, Namdhari FC, Rajasthan United, Dempo SC, Gokulam Kerala, Real Kashmir, Sreenidi Deccan, and Shillong Lajong. They are the I-League sides from last season, while Diamond Harbor FC and Chanmari FC have been promoted through I-League-2. The current MRA between AIFF and FSDL runs out in December 2025, and the Supreme Court has directed the two parties to find a solution for a future agreement. The lack of a solution about a future MRA has put this season’s ISL ‘on hold’ — officially on July 11 — and has spiraled into the I-League’s plans for the 2025-26 campaign. The letter added, “We request you to consider putting forth our point of view before the Honorable Supreme Court in the same manner as you have done on 22nd August, 2025, on behalf of the ISL clubs.” The top two — champion Inter Kashi and runner-up Churchill Brothers — and the bottom two — Sporting Club Bengaluru and Delhi FC – in I-League’s previous season did not feature in the letter.
Serena Williams calls Sharapova ‘a friend forever’
Serena Williams was given the responsibility of introducing former rival Maria Sharapova for her induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday night. The American emerged from behind the stage, surprising everyone, calling Sharapova a ‘former rival, a former fan and the friend for ever’. Speaking on the stage, Serena said, “In 2004, when Maria was just 17 years old, she stunned the world and won Wimbledon. To this day, she calls it the highlight of her career. Today, I call it one of my hardest losses. The match didn’t just make her a champion. It actually made her a star and launched one of the most talked about and controversial rivalries in tennis.” “For more than a decade and a half, every time we took on each other, the atmosphere shifted. The tension was real, the fire was real, and honestly, you could feel it, and by the way, you could hear it, with all Maria’s grunting,” she added. In response, Sharapova could be seen pointing her finger at Serena, and the American responded, “No, not mine, yours! I was just copying you”. Meanwhile, in her acceptance speech, the Russian said, “It’s a gift to have someone who motivates you to reach those heights. And I’ll forever be grateful for bringing out the best in me.” “We both knew no other way than to fight our hearts out. We both hated to lose more than anything on this earth, and we both knew that the other was the biggest obstacle between ourselves and the trophy,” she added. Sharapova was the first-ever Russian woman to reach the No. 1 spot in the rankings and one of 10 women to complete the career Grand Slam. During her introductory speech, Williams also said, “She changed how women not only approached tennis, but sports and opportunity. She showed us that you can be fierce on the court and strategic off the court, and unapologetically herself the entire time.”
Pujara says goodbye to all forms of cricket
Cheteshwar Pujara has announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket. In an emotional statement, he said wearing the Indian jersey, singing the national anthem, and giving his best every time he stepped on the field was an experience beyond words. His announcement marks the end of a significant chapter in Indian cricket. Thanking fans for their constant love and support, Pujara expressed his immense gratitude as he brings this chapter to a close. Reflecting on his remarkable tenure, he served as a pillar of India’s Test team for over a decade; Pujara’s calm presence and unwavering focus made him one of the most dependable batters of his generation. His achievements stand tall among his peers. Like most great batsmen of his era, Cheteshwar Pujara conserved his finest for Australia. Against them, home and away, he averaged 49.38 and made five hundreds. Rahul Dravid, a great No.3, mustered 38.67 and two hundreds. He aggregated 43.47 in matches India won overseas; Kohli’s corresponding average was 40.57.
