NEW DELHI: The All India Football Federation has appointed former India striker Abhishek Yadav as the AIFF’s first deputy general secretary.
The 40-year-old former international, who is respected among his contemporaries and also served as the captain of the Indian team, has been serving as the national team’s director since January 2018.
“Abhishek has done a commendable job so far and I have personally observed him grow in stature as an administrator,” PTI quotes AIFF president Praful Patel as having said.
Yadav, has been involved with the AIFF in various capacities for a while now, working closely with general secretary Kushal Das.
“AIFF general secretary Kushal Das has guided and given me valuable inputs throughout the time I have been involved in the AIFF set-up. I must thank him for helping me as playing and administration are totally different,” Yadav said.
“I also have to thank the president for supporting me in various football development initiatives after I got the opportunity to work for the betterment of Indian football,” he added.
Yadav also developed the AIFF’s international scouting project in cooperation with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), helping create opportunities for Indian passport holders, who were based abroad.
Giving Yadav a key administrative role is a reward for his “impressive work” with the national teams.
The federation is certain that bringing into its fold a well-known former player, with knowledge of the football ecosystem, could benefit the federation.
Das had high praise for Yadav’s work with the AIFF and backed him to excel in his new role.
“Abhishek has really impressed in the time he has been with the AIFF, working with our scouting program and national teams.
“He has risen through the system with his hard work and we feel that he is well suited to such a role and has all the tools to succeed in it,” Das told PTI.
According to the federation top bosses, Yadav’s work with AIFF’s developmental side Indian Arrows and the U-17 national team for the 2017 FIFA World Cup at home was “commendable”.
Yadav has had a long and successful career in Indian football, representing the likes of Mahindra United, Churchill Brothers and Mumbai FC.
