'There should be much larger role for him in football than AIFF prez'
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday compared former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia's stature in football to cricketing greats Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar and told the Supreme Court that it envisages a much bigger role for Bhutia than the AIFF president, for which he is contesting.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said this after Bhutia's counsel Raghent Basant told a bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and A S Bopanna that the SC-mandated reforms should not be rolled back just because FIFA in collusion with "certain persons" is putting the gun on AIFF's head.
Mehta did not elaborate the contours of the 'larger role' for Bhutia. The bench asked Committee of Administrators' (CoA) counsel Gopal Shankaranarayanan, who has been appointed amicus curiae in the matter with the disbanding of CoA, to interact with Mehta to understand what role the government envisaged for Bhutia.
Basant said Bhutia is not canvassing for any post but intervening in the interest of football's health. Basant said FIFA was unreasonable in suspending AIFF even when the highest court of India was supervising the implementation of the reforms and went on to say that the reform process should continue even if FIFA robbed India of the hosting rights for U-17 Women's World Cup.
"Howsoever big the international body be, it must respect the majesty of the Supreme Court. I will rather go for reforms rather than sacrifice it for hosting oneU-17 Women's World Cup. With reforms, we can hope for the Indian men's team to qualify for the World Cup in the future," Bhutia's counsel said.
This statement caught the bench by surprise. Justice Chandrachud said all the efforts are being made so as to facilitate revocation of AIFF suspension which is impeding hosting ofU-17 World Cup and participation of the Indian teams in international competitions. Shankaranarayanan said FIFA's conduct has left many doubts.
"FIFA did not bat an eyelid when the previous management committee was in saddle for two years after the expiry of its term in complete violation of rules. CoA is completely with Bhutia when he says the majesty of the SC should be respected," he said. In his intervention application, Bhutia had supported CoA and said the SC's August 3 order directing the AIFF General Body to comprise 36-member electoral college including eminent players be given full effect.
