After 17 years at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the new General Secretary of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) explains the move: 'I saw SAFF as an organisation with a lot of potential but not explored. I saw opportunities and challenges for myself. At AFC, I was not in core competitions, largely handling media operations, international relations, and governance. So, it felt like a new start. It helped that AFC recommended me, since they wanted SAFF to be on par with other regional associations.'
Challenges Faced in the First Year
Since taking over a year ago, the main challenges have been sociopolitical. 'We have three big markets population-wise: India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. All three member associations have political issues. Football-wise, they are fine, but politically there are issues. It becomes difficult to attract commercial partners. Even visas are an issue, sometimes taking a month to obtain. Also, football is not the most popular sport in South Asia. It’s popular, but not number one, unlike other regions. Many people only watch elite European football.'
Population Potential
Almost a quarter of the world’s population lives in South Asia. 'The potential is huge. If you tap into the population, it’s a huge market. Many follow the sport. We need to get these fans interested in regional competitions. Our member associations need to develop. All of us need to work together.'
Proposed SAFF Men’s Club Championship
The proposed club championship has garnered interest but is not planned even for 2027. 'It was initially planned for 2026 when we had a commercial partner, but now we don’t. Last year, leagues were uncertain. Nepal didn’t happen, same with Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Maldives struggled. Only Bangladesh and Bhutan had a league; India happened much later. We still don’t have sustainable league programs in all member associations. Uncertain leagues don’t help. You can’t have the championship one year and discard the next. Logistical challenges also exist, as a centrally-hosted tournament will not generate interest.'
VAR Possibility
VAR is a possibility for the men’s championship in November. 'We are in talks with international organisations to implement VAR soon.'
Funding and Support
Despite no commercial partner, SAFF generates funds through support from FIFA and AFC. 'Whenever we make a detailed proposal, we have had support. We have maintained good relations. All support that can be rendered from AFC and FIFA, we have received it.'
Inviting Foreign Teams
SAFF invited foreign teams like Kuwait and Lebanon for the last men’s championship in Bengaluru. 'There is no unanimity. Some members think foreign teams will thrash our teams and discourage them. Others think it leads to better competition and improvement. There are financial implications too. We don’t have a clear policy yet. This was put before our executive committee, and we decided that a final call will be taken only after a detailed discussion. This decision cannot be taken by the administration alone.'
