New Delhi, March 13 Veteran administrator and former All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das, who played a significant role in organizing the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, died here on Friday.
Das was 65 years old. He held the position of AIFF general secretary for 12 years before resigning in 2022 due to health reasons.
Before entering football administration in 2010, Das had served as Chief Financial Officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and International Management Group (IMG) India.
He passed away at a private hospital in the capital, according to Shaji Prabhakaran, another long-time football administrator who succeeded Das as the AIFF's full-time secretary general in 2022 after former I-League CEO Sunando Dhar served as the acting GS for a brief period.
"Former AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das passed away this morning at a private hospital in Delhi. Sending my deepest sympathies and prayers to his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. Om Shanti," Prabhakaran wrote on his 'X' handle.
During his tenure, the Indian national team qualified for three AFC Asian Cup tournaments, in addition to the country hosting the prestigious FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time in 2017, which he described as "game changer" for Indian football at the time.
The event set a record for the most-attended FIFA youth World Cup in history. He also secured hosting rights for the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup and the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
Das also played a key role in bringing Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) as a marketing partner of AIFF in 2010, which led to the launch of the Indian Super League (ISL). He often credited this partnership with saving the AIFF from financial crisis after previous broadcasters moved on.
Under his guidance, the AIFF launched the Golden Baby Leagues and a structured youth development system, including age-group leagues that forced clubs and academies to focus on long-term player pipelines.
Das' tenure in the AIFF coincided with Praful Patel's reign as its president, and the former had sent his resignation to the Committee of Administrators which was then running Indian football after the Patel-led dispensation was ousted by the Supreme Court for not holding elections on time.
Das was re-appointed as AIFF's general secretary for a second term of another three years in 2013.
Das completed his BSc in Mathematics at the St. Stephen's College in Delhi.