Kolkata, March 21: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated eminent Indian footballer turned entrepreneur Kalyan Chaubey as the party candidate to fight the Lok Sabha election from Krishnanagar parliamentary constituency. His name was announced along with 183 other party candidates after party’s National Executive body meeting in New Delhi on Thursday evening.
Chaubey: Back to root (Facebook)
The former custodian of Indian football team, who also saved the bar posts for Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and also for five times i-league champion Goa’s Salgaocar FC, will take on Trinamul’s Mahua Moitra and CPM’s Professor Santanu Jha on April 29’s poll battle.
Party sources in Kolkata claimed that Chaubey’s nomination from Krishnanagar is quite unexpected even though he is in the part fold since 2015 when he joined the BJP through senior leader Arun Jaitley. However, party leadership in Kolkata and Nadia have welcomed Chaubey’s nomination considering the two heavy weight rivals of Trinamul Congress and CPM. “Kalyan Chaubey is a gentleman, a good human being and a passionate activist who never forgets his roots”, said a party insider in Kolkata.
A product of Tata Football Academy’s 1995 batch, Kalyan Chaubey represented Indian football team from 1994 to 2006 at various level including at the senior level as the goalkeeper. As a professional footballer he also played for Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Salgaocar FC, Mahindra United, JCT and Mumbai FC.
After retirement Chaubey developed a versatile identity as he gradually became involved in multifaceted activities which include launching start ups, setting up a football academy, doing social activities, working as club administrator, sports analyst, model, television commentator, author and also doing political activities for BJP.
He first launched his business, a fully mechanized laundry with a brand name ‘Fabkleen’ which now known as Whytes Hygene Care.
As a Chief Executive Officer of Mohun Bagan’s Youth Development Programme, Chaubey spearheaded setting up three residential football academies in Jalpaiguri, Durgapur and in Kalimpong. He was also Technical Director of Bajaj Allianz ‘s Youth Talent Hunt programme during 2011-2013.
“Kalyan Chaubey is a gentleman, a good human being and a passionate activist who never forgets his roots” – A BJP leader in Kolkata
In 2016, Kalyan, launched a football academy in Odhisa’s Sambalpur, a start up under the banner Ekalavya Sports and Skill Development as its chairman and trustee. To set up this academy Chaubey even sold his residential houses. Chaubey’s academy is possibly India’s largest football academy both in terms of area and facilities. He is the first Bengali professional footballer to run own entrepreneurship.
Earlier In 2014, Kalyan started working as sports analyst for Sony television during FIFA world cup. He also later worked as commentator for Ten TV, Star Sports Network for Calcutta Football league and also for Indian Super League.
A very religious person, Chaubey has also authored an original novel in Bengali titled ‘Aporinato’ which was published by Deb Sahitya Kutir. He also translated a book on life and legends of ‘Sain Baba’ from English.