Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 8: Former Indian footballer Arun Malhotra met AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey at the AIFF headquarters to discuss the revival and development of football in Jammu & Kashmir. Malhotra emphasized the urgent need for the formation of the Jammu & Kashmir Football Association (JKFA) and the conduct of elections, noting that the region has lacked a local football league for several years, adversely affecting competitive football and player development.
During the meeting, Malhotra shared his vision for strengthening grassroot football, introducing structured youth development programmes, organizing coaching education initiatives and expanding football infrastructure in Jammu to provide training and competitive exposure to young players. He highlighted the region’s talent pool, many of whom are already playing professionally across India, and stressed the importance of co-opting private sectors and former footballers to organize tournaments, leagues and development programmes.
He said that Jammu has many talented and committed individuals who possess the capability to organize tournaments, leagues, coaching courses and development programmes for the betterment of football.
Kalyan Chaubey assured Malhotra that JKFA elections would be conducted soon, paving the way for structured governance, organized league systems and sustainable football development in the region. He also committed to implementing the suggestions put forth by Malhotra to revamp football activities, empower local stakeholders and strengthen institutional support for the long-term growth of the sport in Jammu & Kashmir.
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