The All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey revealed in the Federation’s executive committee meeting at the Football House in New Delhi, on Thursday that FIFA President Gianni Infantino assisted by other Fifa officials are likely to watch Santosh Trophy final this season. The men’s senior national football championship will take place in Arunachal Pradesh on 9th or 10th March. 

The President informed the executive committee of his detailed discussions with FIFA on the Santosh Trophy and several other projects. He revealed that the national football championship for the Santosh Trophy, which will be held in Arunachal Pradesh this season, will be known as the FIFA Santosh Trophy.

The AIFF president stated, “I am happy to announce that after having discussions with FIFA, the Santosh Trophy will now be known as the FIFA Santosh Trophy. This entails that a team of FIFA officials will come to have a meeting with Arunachal Pradesh officials on the conduct of the tournament. We also expect the FIFA President Gianni Infantino to be present for the final on 9th or 10th March.”

FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development and renowned coach Mr. Arsene Wenger is set to visit India later this month, and the AIFF President announced that his visit would open up a new chapter in India’s youth development plans and projects.

“We will hold detailed discussions with Mr. Wenger on plans to establish the proposed FIFA-AIFF academy. Our plan is not to have one, but five academies, one across each zone in India. India being a big country, I personally feel, one academy will not be enough, since it could throw up only 25-30 players in one batch. So, we have taken up this ambitious project of five academies,” added the AIFF president.

Plans are also there to establish a goalkeepers’ academy to produce quality custodians. Himself a former India goalkeeper, the AIFF President told the members that he had a meeting with Germany’s legendary former goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who was in India recently on a personal visit.

Chaubey’s suggestion that in order to spread the game far and wide, some of the I-League matches could be played in Jharkhand, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh cities, was accepted by the executive committee members.

However the executive committee congratulated Mizoram’s assistant referee Ms. Lalthansangi on the unique achievement of passing the men’s referee’s fitness test. The Committee expressed hope that Ms. Lalthansangi, apart from her duties in women’s football matches, will also officiate in men’s games.

The executive committee paid condolence for the death of former India players Mohamed Habib and Prabhakar Mishra, and observed a minutes’ silence.

The Committee ratified the decision to terminate the contract of Shaji Prabhakaran as the secretary general, and appoint M Satyanarayan as the acting secretary general of the All India Football Federation.