Kolkata Football: Joydeep Mukherjee elected new IFA Secretary

Joydeep Mukherjee assumed his new office after being elected as the Secretary of the Indian Football Association (IFA), the governing body for football in West Bengal on Friday.

Former Secretary Utpal Ganguli had vacated the post by submitting his resignation in May after serving three consecutive terms, stretching twelve years.

Mukherjee along with Biswarup Dey threw their hat into the polls but Dey, who had served as the Secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) withdrew his nomination before the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the IFA on 29 June.

With strong favourite Dey out of the race, Mukherjee was elected unopposed. Mukherjee has previously held the assistant secretary's post at IFA and is also an executive committee member of East Bengal club. 

Mukherjee has vowed to reduce the financial burden of the 126-year-old body. "For the position the IFA is in today, it has dug its own hole through the years. I have been given this responsibility now and I hope to have the support of everyone to be successful. If I cannot be successful, I will move away from this post myself," Mukherjee stated.



"There are outstanding debts of the IFA and we will try to bring in sponsors and pay those off. But, at the same time, we have improve the quality and quantity of football under our wing, bring in new sponsors. We have four tournaments to organize and I believe we will wrap up it before September this season. It will be the teamwork of all in the IFA, not just me."

"There are plans in place. I believe nothing is impossible," said Mukherjee, who is also associated with the Bengali entertainment industry.

He also called upon the member clubs, including heavyweights East Bengal and Mohun Bagan to help IFA regain its lost sheen, with the Calcutta Football League beginning this month.

"Why only the big two, be it the big clubs or the small clubs, we need the cooperation of all the 256 clubs registered with the IFA."

Subrata Dutta congratulated Mukherjee, "I wish Joydeep Mukherjee is successful in his new role. If he succeeds, the IFA succeeds and Bengal football develops."

Dutta, a Senior Vice-President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) also serves as the Chairman of the IFA after being elected President in 2014.