To honour the contributions made by Kalyan Chaubey to Indian Football, India Post issued a commemorative postal stamp on Thursday. It was a recognition by the state unit of the department of Chaubey’s contributions to Indian football, both as a player and administrator. The Rs. 5 stamp, released at a city event by India Post, features Chaubey’s image alongside the iconic Red Fort.

‘Truly humbled by the gesture’, says Kalyan Chaubey

The former goalkeeper and the current All India Football Federation(AIFF), Kalyan Chaubey thanked the India Post for their gesture by saying, “I’m truly humbled with the gesture shown by the Indian Post department.”

“This honour strengthens my belief in the work we have done in developing Indian football, and will further encourage me to keep working for the betterment of the sports in the country,” he added.

The state unit of India Post had earlier issued similar commemorative postal stamps honouring former football legends like Chuni Goswami, Ghosto Paul, Talimeren Ao and former Indian Women’s cricketer Jhulan Goswami.

Having graduated from Tata Football Academy, Chaubey went on to represent top Indian clubs like the Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Mahindra United and the Salgaocar FC, among others in his career. He was a part of the Indian team that won the SAFF Championship, along with representing Bengal, Punjab and Goa in the Santosh Trophy. The most remarkable moment for Chaubey was when he won the AIFF presidential elections, beating Bhaichung Bhutia.

He was elected as the federation president in September 2022 and since then has been at the helm of the affairs. The former goalkeeper thus became the first footballer from the country to head the AIFF. Previously also, the Indian postal department has honoured many sportspersons from different sports.

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