The Hindu : Sport / Football : Football Players' Association of India launched

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 14, 2006

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Sport - Football

Football Players' Association of India launched

Principal Correspondent

KOLKATA: A new chapter was added to the annals of the country's soccer with the launch of the Football Players' Association (FPA) of India. The announcement was formally made on Sunday by Baichung Bhutia, who is the main force behind the formation of the body.

Bhutia along with three other senior players — Dipak Mondal, Raman Vijayan and Shanmugam Venkatesh — have been appointed the national directors while former international Sumit Mukherjee is the CEO of the FPA and will be looking after the administrative aspects of the association.

For an ideal environment

The FPA, as the first registered footballers' body in the country, is borne out of the need to give the football players in India a conducive environment. The body in principle would be a ``complementary arm of the national and the state federations,'' said Bhutia.

``We would like to be a part of the progress and development of soccer in the country,'' he added. The former national captain said that it would be nice if the national federation and the state associations involve FPA during team selection process. We will have a first hand knowledge of the players and would be able to give valuable inputs during the team selection process,'' he said.

AIFF welcomes the move

The All India Football Federation has welcomed the formation of FPA. In a faxed message to the players' body, the AIFF Secretary, Alberto Colaco, wished FPA ``all the very best.''

Though there is no formal recognition, the AIFF ``assured'' its support to the FPA towards the development of the sport in the country. The local state body — Indian Football Association — also extended its support.

The FPA CEO, Mukherjee, said that the association has been primarily modelled on the precepts of the world's longest established professional sportsmen's union — Professional Footballers Association — of England. ``Baichung was a member of the PFA when he was playing in England. His English experience has come good in the formation of this body,'' he said.

Membership fee

The FPA will be open for all the active footballers in the country and has offered a membership fee of Rs. 5000 for NFL first division players, while the second division players will have to pay Rs. 2000. The membership amount for other players will be Rs. 500 each.

The association is also open to foreigners and the membership will be renewed every year. Several other top players, including Jo Paul Ancheri, N.S. Manju, Mehrajudddin Wadoo, Mohun Bagan's Brazilian recruit Jose Ramairez Barreto, Dipankar Roy, Manjit Singh and Rennedy Singh among others, attended the meeting.

Regarding the objectives of the body, Bhutia said the FPA would act as a parent body for the players and would look after their welfare.

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