Shaji Prabhakaran
{{Short description|Indian sports administrator}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Shaji Prabhakaran
| image = Shaji Prabhakaran at the 2015 FA Cup Final.jpg
| caption = Prabhakaran pitchside at the 2015 FA Cup final
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|05|3|df=y}}
| birth_place = Mavelikara, Kerala, India
| education = Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (P.Ed, Ph.D)
| occupation = Former football Consultant (FIFA, AFC)
| module = {{Infobox officeholder
| embed = yes
| office = 13th General Secretary of All India Football Federation
| term_start = 2 September 2022
| term_end = 8 November 2023
| predecessor = Sunando Dhar (interim)
| successor = M. Satyanarayan (acting)
}}
}}
Shaji Prabhakaran is an Indian football administrator. He formerly served as the general secretary of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/former-goalkeeper-kalyan-chaubey-appointed-new-aiff-president|title=Former goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey appointed new AIFF President|archive-date=4 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904100011/https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/former-goalkeeper-kalyan-chaubey-appointed-new-aiff-president|website=www.freepressjournal.com|publisher=The Free Press Journal|date=2 September 2022|access-date=4 September 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://khelnow.com/football/indian-football-aiff-executive-committee-members-coopted-eminent-former-players-list|title=List of AIFF executive committee members & co-opted eminent players|date=2 September 2022|access-date=2 September 2022|archive-date=4 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904100030/https://khelnow.com/football/indian-football-aiff-executive-committee-members-coopted-eminent-former-players-list|website=khelnow.com|publisher=Khel Now}}{{cite news|title=AIFF Executive Committee appoints Shaji Prabhakaran as new Secretary General|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/article/aiff-executive-committee-appoints-shaji-prabhakaran-as-new-secretary-general|website=www.the-aiff.com|publisher=All India Football Federation|first=AIFF|last=Media Team|language=en|date=3 September 2022|access-date=4 September 2022|location=New Delhi|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904095136/https://www.the-aiff.com/article/aiff-executive-committee-appoints-shaji-prabhakaran-as-new-secretary-general|archive-date=4 September 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/article/49-teams-to-participate-in-aiff-elite-youth-league-2022-23|title=49 teams to participate in AIFF Elite Youth League 2022–23|date=7 December 2022|access-date=28 January 2023|location=New Delhi|website=the-aiff.com|publisher=All India Football Federation|archive-date=8 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208054612/https://www.the-aiff.com/article/49-teams-to-participate-in-aiff-elite-youth-league-2022-23}} He was also the president of Football Delhi (Delhi Soccer Association).{{Cite web |last=PTI |date=2022-09-07 |title=AIFF Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran Quits Football Delhi President’s Post |url=https://www.thequint.com/sports/football/aiff-secretary-general-shaji-prabhakaran-resigns-from-the-role-of-football-delhi-president |access-date=2022-09-07 |website=TheQuint |language=en}} Prabhakaran is the former FIFA South Central Asia development officer.{{Cite web |title=India's football past gasping for survival |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/football/india-s-football-past-gasping-for-survival/story-8cGyA03MIB3ay2LCflkcWJ.html |date=25 March 2018 |website=hindustantimes.com |publisher=Hindustan Times |last=Sarkar |first=Dhiman |location=Kolkata |access-date=16 April 2023 |archive-date=6 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106201153/https://www.hindustantimes.com/football/india-s-football-past-gasping-for-survival/story-8cGyA03MIB3ay2LCflkcWJ.html }}
Biography
Shaji hails from Kerala. He began playing football at the age of 8, but did not have the opportunity to receive professional training or coaching. As football was not popular in his school at the time he played volleyball and cricket.{{Cite news|last=Fernandes|first=Nitin|date=7 May 2014|title=CXOs in Sports: Interview with Dr Shaji Prabhakaran, Regional Development Officer for FIFA in South and Central Asia|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/cxos-in-sports-interview-dr-shaji-prabhakaran-regional-development-officer-fifa-south-central-asia|access-date=3 October 2020|work=Sportskeeda|language=en-us|archive-date=15 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815200839/http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/cxos-in-sports-interview-dr-shaji-prabhakaran-regional-development-officer-fifa-south-central-asia|url-status=live}}
At the age of 15, he started playing for a local teagarden club (Binnaguri) in the Dooars area of West Bengal. From that point football then became an integral part of Shaji's life.{{Cite web|last=Kamboe|first=Harmit|date=2010-04-06|title=Interview with Dr Shaji Prabhakaran - ex AIFF|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/interview-with-dr-shaji-prabhakaran-ex-aiff|access-date=2020-10-11|website=www.sportskeeda.com|language=en-us|archive-date=2022-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904101251/https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/interview-with-dr-shaji-prabhakaran-ex-aiff|url-status=live}}
Shaji Prabhakaran graduated from Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE), Gwalior in 1994. In 2000 he returned to LNIPE and completed his Doctorate (Ph.D) in Physical Education (football).{{Cite web|title=Interview with Dr Shaji Prabhakaran - ex AIFF|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/amp/football/interview-with-dr-shaji-prabhakaran-ex-aiff|access-date=2020-11-10|archive-date=2020-11-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110095619/https://www.sportskeeda.com/amp/football/interview-with-dr-shaji-prabhakaran-ex-aiff|url-status=live}}
Currently, he is in the Asian Football Confederation as the elected Executive Committee member since May 2023 and he is also the South Asian Football Federation Executive Committee member. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/aiff-secretary-general-shaji-prabhakaran-elected-afc-executive-committee-member/articleshow/100038026.cms
He was appointed as the president of the Football Delhi{{efn|It was Delhi Soccer Association earlier, and renamed to its new name Football Delhi in December 2017.{{cite news |title=Delhi Soccer Association to be renamed Football Delhi |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/delhi-soccer-association-to-be-renamed-football-delhi-117122900832_1.html#:~:text=The%20Delhi%20Soccer%20Association%20(DSA,the%20executive%20committee%20meeting%20here. |accessdate=10 October 2020 |work=Business Standard |date=29 December 2017 |archive-date=6 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006234449/https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/delhi-soccer-association-to-be-renamed-football-delhi-117122900832_1.html#:~:text=The%20Delhi%20Soccer%20Association%20(DSA,the%20executive%20committee%20meeting%20here. |url-status=live }}}} on 19 November 2017.{{Cite news|title=Shaji Prabhakaran: Shaji Prabhakaran is new DSA president {{!}} Football News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/shaji-prabhakaran-is-new-dsa-president/articleshow/61713854.cms|date=19 November 2017|access-date=9 October 2020|work=The Times of India|language=en|archive-date=4 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904101251/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/shaji-prabhakaran-is-new-dsa-president/articleshow/61713854.cms|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|title=Football Delhi to launch Capital Cup with ISL, I-League teams|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/football-delhi-to-launch-capital-cup-with-isl-ileague-teams/1849502|date=29 May 2020|access-date=3 October 2020|work=Outlook|archive-date=4 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904101252/https://www.outlookindia.com/|url-status=live}} He is also the director of Delhi United SC.{{Cite news|last=Mullick|first=Sudipto|date=2017-09-11|title=Interview: Shaji Prabhakaran ventures into his latest project – Delhi United FC|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/interview-shaji-prabhakaran-ventures-latest-project-delhi-united-fc|access-date=2020-10-10|website=www.sportskeeda.com|language=en-us|archive-date=2022-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904101253/https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/interview-shaji-prabhakaran-ventures-latest-project-delhi-united-fc|url-status=live}}
He started his career as a Senior Consultant at the Asian Football Confederation in 2017 following his long association with AIFF as Director of Vision & National Teams.{{Cite web|title=Interview with Dr Shaji Prabhakaran - ex AIFF|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/interview-with-dr-shaji-prabhakaran-ex-aiff|access-date=2020-10-12|website=Sportskeeda|archive-date=2022-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904101251/https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/interview-with-dr-shaji-prabhakaran-ex-aiff|url-status=live}} Subsequently, Shaji got elected as the Delhi Soccer Association President, now known as Football Delhi.{{Cite web|date=2017-11-11|title=Ex-FIFA official Shaji Prabhakaran to contest for post of Delhi Soccer Association president|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/football/ex-fifa-official-shaji-prabhakaran-to-contest-for-delhi-soccer-association-president-4932744/|access-date=2020-10-12|website=The Indian Express|language=en|archive-date=2017-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219180219/http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/football/ex-fifa-official-shaji-prabhakaran-to-contest-for-delhi-soccer-association-president-4932744/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=2017-11-19|title=Shaji Prabhakaran elected new president of Delhi Soccer Association|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/football/shaji-prabhakaran-elected-new-president-of-delhi-soccer-association/story-L7c3HuKv1q7CKGwKQGyfuK.html|access-date=2020-10-12|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|archive-date=2017-11-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171124215117/http://www.hindustantimes.com/football/shaji-prabhakaran-elected-new-president-of-delhi-soccer-association/story-L7c3HuKv1q7CKGwKQGyfuK.html|url-status=live}}
In April, 2017 he got appointed as the President and then as Director of the Delhi-based professional I-League level club, Delhi United FC, which competes in the 2nd division.{{Cite web|title=Interview: Shaji Prabhakaran ventures into his latest project – Delhi United FC|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/interview-shaji-prabhakaran-ventures-latest-project-delhi-united-fc|access-date=2020-10-12|website=Sportskeeda|archive-date=2022-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904101253/https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/interview-shaji-prabhakaran-ventures-latest-project-delhi-united-fc|url-status=live}}
He was the manager and coach at the CFA (Chandigarh Football Academy) for four years.
He is associated with Mumbai-based sports company, SE TransStadia Pvt Ltd as General Manager and then as Associate Vice President. Shaji is also the founder of football Khelo Foundation.{{Cite web|title=The Indian Dream: Why A {{sic|Compet|etive|nolink=y}} League Is Fundamental To India's World Cup Dream? {{!}} Goal.com|url=https://www.goal.com/en-india/news/3294/the-indian-dream/2010/07/06/2011634/the-indian-dream-why-a-competetive-league-is-fundamental-to|access-date=2020-10-12|website=www.goal.com|archive-date=2016-07-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731114325/http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/3294/the-indian-dream/2010/07/06/2011634/the-indian-dream-why-a-competetive-league-is-fundamental-to|url-status=live}}
Literary works
Prabhakaran has authored the book Back to the Roots: A Definitive Guide to Grassroots & Football Development.{{Cite news|last=Lokapally|first=Vijay|date=7 November 2016|title=Dream with a deadline|language=en-IN|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Dream-with-a-deadline/article16439137.ece|access-date=8 October 2020|work=The Hindu|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=4 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904101253/https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Dream-with-a-deadline/article16439137.ece|url-status=live}}
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|http://shajiprabhakaran.com/}}
- {{cite book |title=Back to the Roots: A Definitive Guide to Grassroots & Football Development |date=2016 |publisher=Showcase/Roli Books |isbn=9789351941859 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=buiqnQAACAAJ}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prabhakaran, Shaji}}
Category:Indian football executives