New Delhi: By his own admission, Jaydeep Basu’s heart and mind fought a continuous battle while writing ‘Who Stole My Football – The Untold Story of AIFF 2002-25′.

After shepherding two earlier books on the positive aspects of the game in the country, it was the last thing he would have hoped for to do when he joined the AIFF as the Director of Media and Communications, even before Kalyan Chaubey became the president in September 2022.

A career sports journalist, with a particular affinity towards football, his treasure trove of experience and acquaintance among the who’s who of Indian football made him an ideal candidate for the job, which should have been utilised for the game’s betterment.

But what followed compelled Basu to put in words his harrowing experience of working at the Football House. And no matter how much he tried to resist himself, the football fraternity should be glad to get an insider’s tale into absolute misrule, which is rare to find in today’s world of carefully manufactured narratives.

Like everyone connected directly or remotely with the game, the author too had a positive feeling once Chaubey sat on the hot seat. After........

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