Veteran sports administrator and former All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das, who played a key role in hosting the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, died in New Delhi on Friday. He was 66.
Das is survived by his wife and two sons.
He served as the AIFF General Secretary for 12 years before stepping down in 2022 due to unspecified health reasons. During his tenure, he oversaw several major changes in the Indian football administration and helped secure the rights to host several international tournaments.
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Das breathed his last at a private hospital in the capital, according to football administrator Shaji Prabhakaran, who replaced him as the AIFF’s full-time general secretary in 2022 after former I-League CEO Sunando Dhar briefly served as acting general secretary.
“Former AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das passed away this morning at a private hospital in Delhi. My deepest sympathies and prayers to his family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time. Om Shanti,” Prabhakaran wrote on X.
The AIFF later released a statement condoling the death of its former representative.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey said Das played a significant role in the governance and development of Indian football.
“His efforts for Indian football will always be remembered. On behalf of the entire Indian football fraternity, my sincere condolences to his family and loved ones at this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace,” Chaubey said.
A chartered accountant by profession, Das has brought extensive experience in sports management and administration to Indian football. Prior to joining the AIFF in 2010, he served as the CFO of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai and also worked with the International Management Group (IMG) India.
In the early years of his career, he worked with several international organizations, including PwC, GSK and Shell. In 1996, he joined IMG as CFO when the global sports marketing and television production company entered the Indian market.
AIFF Deputy General Secretary M. Satyanarayan described Das as one of the longest serving administrators in the federation.
“It is really sad to hear of the demise of Mr. Das. He was one of the longest serving general secretaries of AIFF, serving for over 12 years. During his tenure, the administration at Football House saw many changes and several new departments were created,” Satyanarayan said.
“I have personally approached him on many occasions and his death leaves a huge void in the sports administration,” he added.
During Das’s tenure, the Indian national team qualified for three AFC Asian Cup tournaments. India also hosted the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time in 2017, an event that Das described as a “game changer” for Indian football.
The tournament set a record for the highest attendance in FIFA World Youth Cup history. India also secured the hosting rights for the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup and the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup during his tenure.
Das also played a key role in bringing in Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) as the AIFF’s marketing partner in 2010, a partnership that eventually led to the launch of the Indian Super League (ISL). He has often said the deal helped the federation recover from financial difficulties after previous broadcasters stepped down.
Under his leadership, the AIFF introduced Golden Baby Leagues and created a structured youth development pathway, including age-group leagues aimed at encouraging clubs and academies to invest in long-term player development.
Das’s tenure coincided with Praful Patel’s presidency of the AIFF. He submitted his resignation to the Committee of Administrators, which took over the leadership of the federation after the Supreme Court dismissed the Patel-led administration for failing to hold elections on time.
Das was earlier re-appointed as the AIFF General Secretary for a second three-year term in 2013.
He completed his BA in Mathematics from St Stephen’s College, Delhi.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
March 13, 2026 5:54 PM IST
