Kalyan Chaubey, president of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), has come under scrutiny after Valanka Alemao accused him of harassment at an executive committee meeting in Delhi. Alemao, who also serves as a member of the AIFF executive committee, leveled the allegations in a formal letter, raising fresh concerns about governance and conduct in Indian football.
The incident reportedly took place during the AIFF executive committee meeting held at the football house on March 29, where Alemao alleged that she was “insulted and harassed” by senior officials. The development comes just days after she raised strong objections to administrative lapses during India’s Women’s Asia Cup campaign.
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In a letter to Exco members, Alemao detailed her allegations against Chaubey and other officials:
“I would like to record the completely disgusting behavior of AIFF President Mr. Kalyan Chaubey, Vice President Mr. NA Haris and Deputy General Secretary M. Satyanarayan. I feel deeply prejudiced and find that several attempts have been made by the President to suppress my voice.”
“The president made remarks at me that were unnecessary and disrespectful. Along with DSG, he repeatedly raised his tone above an acceptable decibel with the intention of intimidating me… I was constantly targeted during the meeting,” she claimed.
WHAT IS THE FEUD BETWEEN CHAUBEY AND ALEMAO?
The friction between Chaubey and Alemao appears to stem from deeper administrative differences within the AIFF.
Alemao had earlier written to Chaubey to hold him accountable after what she described as a “series of blunders” during India’s Women’s Asia Cup campaign in Australia, including issues related to team management and logistics. She also expressed concern about the lack of consultation with key bodies such as the executive committee and the women’s committee on important decisions.
Her latest allegations point to a breakdown in communication at the highest level and claim that decision-making processes are centralized without adequate consultation. The Exco meeting in New Delhi seems to have brought these tensions to the fore.
The controversy once again raises questions about the standards of governance in Indian football at a time when the sport is already struggling with structural and administrative problems.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
30 Mar 2026 11:18 IST
