Ba Football Association President Rishi Kumar has stepped down after 17 years at the helm leading the Men in Black to 43 titles.
Kumar tendered his resignation to the Ba FA board of control during a meeting on March 16 effective April 1 to spend more time with his family and look after his business.
He denied being under pressure after Ba’s failure to qualify for the quarter-fi nals of the 2020 Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Champions League.
Ba has faced a lot of criticism after recording one of its worst performances in the OFC Champions League finishing with three losses in the Group stage.
The Men in Black went down to Auckland City 6-0, AS Venus 4-2 but the 4-3 loss against Samoan club and minnows Lupe Ole Soaga was seen as big blow for the Fiji champions.
Kumar said the results at the OFC Championship had nothing to do with his sudden resignation.
He said there was no pressure from anyone.
“I became president myself and have resigned myself,” Kumar said.
“The people have their freedom of speech and can say anything but there was no pressure on me.
“In fact the Ba FA board of control together with the clubs and the business community still want me to continue but I have calledit a day.”
Under Kumar’s leadership Ba won a total of 43 titles a record in Fiji Football Association’s history and was named as the Fiji FA administrator of the year in 2006 and 2014.
Kumar said he became the president to take Ba football to another level.
“There were some good times and some failures but that is part and parcel of any sport,” he said.
Ba FA secretary Iliaz Khan acknowledged Kumar’s resignation saying the matter will be discussed at their next board meeting when a clearance is given by the government following the ban on all sporting activities.
