Story of football bosses

Let’s have a fascinating account of 2 football bosses. Both are presidents of football bodies, one from 1988, the other from 1998. Both are well-known public faces in their own rights. But perhaps the similarities end here, because there are just too many dissimilarities between the two of them. [Picture source: left; right]

PR Das Munshi, the AIFF President since 1988, is a part-time honcho of this Indian sports body. He is a fulltime minister in union cabinet. He presides over government’s affairs in parliament, especially when the house is in session. He also bears on his shoulders the responsibility of heavyweight information and broadcasting ministry that includes such messing around as seen when The Da Vinci Code was released.

He also is a part-time protester of ‘sinister’ industrialization drive in Bengal, having to rush in time and again to feel ‘brotherliness’ with oppressed land-loosing farmers, never mind his Prime Minister feeling otherwise.

With such heavy responsibilities on his only one pair of shoulders, it is a great wonder that football still receives his somewhat fragmented attention, and indeed it shows.

For a billion-strong country, India occupies a ‘respectable’ bottom in FIFA’s ranking. Mind you, Das Munshi is AIFF president for nearly 2 decades. One look at the facts here, and his ‘contribution’ to the cause of Indian football becomes crystal clear.

No wonder, this is what Mohamed bin Hammam, the Asian Football Confederation head, accompanying FIFA president, has to say:

With the existing structure, don’t think of progress even in the next 100 years.

If such words touch us on the raw, I’m sure the thick-skinned AIFF president would feel none of it. And so, we, the football lovers who so dearly want to see our national team in the highest echelons of competitive football, will continue to nurse our grief and hope, unseen by and unknown to the busy, illustrious and post-clamoring Das Munshi.

Sepp Blatter, on the other hand stepped into the shoes of famed Joao Havelange in 1998, and under him FIFA has continued to spread wings far and wide. He looks after FIFA’s works fulltime, and has been re-elected to the post in 2002. According to reports, he is set to retain his post when elections are held late next month.

FIFA is said to be extending special offers to AIFF, and Blatter will also meet PM, President and Indian corporate honchos. There is no denying there are solid reasons behind his efforts.

In the end though, nothing would succeed unless football is taken out of the clutches of self-serving individuals, including according to me Mr. Das Munshi as well.

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