Former AIFF Secretary P.P. Lakshmanan passes away

With the passing away of P.P. Lakshmanan, 83, in the wee hours of Monday, the country has lost an administrator who will be remembered for his pioneering work to bring about professionalism in Indian football.

Lakshmanan was associated with the game for nearly five decades, starting his innings as president of the Kannur District Football Association in the 1970s on his return from East Africa.

He rose to the position of president of the Kerala Football Association and thereafter treasurer of the All India Football Federation in 1980.

He managed the AIFF finances till 1988 when he was elected secretary, a post he held till 1996. It was during this stint that Lakshmanan pushed for radical reforms — changing the format of the Santosh Trophy and introducing an age limit (23 years).

Though widely criticised for this, Lakshmanan stoutly defended it saying this was required to nurture talent for India’s possible participation in the Olympics, which mandated the team comprise only three professionals and the rest under-23 players.

Moreover, he predicted that the future of Indian football depended on a National league with players engaged and managed by professional clubs.

Lakshmanan was more than once honoured as the best secretary of a national federation by the Asian Football Confederation.

He lost the AIFF election in 1996, but was appointed senior vice-president by then AIFF president Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi. He was elected AIFF executive president in 2000.

In the meanwhile, he was appointed by FIFA to its Appeals Committee, the only Indian to be bestowed that honour. He was member of the committee for three four-year terms, besides serving on an AFC committee to rework its statutes.

Inflicted with Parkinson’s disease, he had been keeping indifferent health for some time now. He will be sorely missed.