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India's expectedly deplorable performances in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup earlier this year yet again stimulated a persistent question. When does the federation finally understand that investment in grassroots is what makes the footballing landscape prosper and not hosting a big-money tournament?
While a well-oiled age-group football system on a grand scale is still a far-fetched dream for our country, India Khelo Football (IKF) in its own humble ways is taking a leaf out of the most successful footballing setups and bringing them to the remotest corners.
With its aspirations to digitalize and democratize the scouting process in the country, the non-profit organization has joined hands with ProSoccer Global. Premier League scouts will be traveling to India to conduct workshops across four cities in February 2023.
IKF's ambitious initiative has found able guidance in PL Scouts and Co-Directors of ProSoccer Global Jimmy Hayes and Chris McGrath.
What will the pair bring to the workshops?
In an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, Phani Bhushan, the founding member of IKF, opined:
"One of the goals of IKF was to find the right talent in India and for that, we needed the right scouts too. When we decided to conduct the trials in India, we were in dire need of talented scouts, and thankfully got ProSoccer Global on board.
"Initially, we did the trials based on the gut feeling of the local scouts. But when Jimmy and Chris got on board, they suggested an improved method. We started using video recordings to assess the players. Earlier, we did that manually, and now we have implemented the software part of it, where based on the analytics they give feedback to the players."
Both Hayes and McGrath have decades of scouting experience for academies across the globe, including Premier League academies. Hence, the workshop will provide aspiring young footballers from India to be assessed by some of the most observant eyes in the business.
Hayes lauded the ambition of IKF to make such elite scouting accessible to Indian youngsters. He opened up to Sportskeeda, saying:
"IKF reached out to us through social media and Chris told me that what these guys were doing for Indian grassroots football is amazing. They are trying to create a movement in India. We have been involved in other countries, whether it’s Hungary or Africa, so we quickly arranged a meet-up.
"We realized it was going to be tough, it was going to be arduous but it was something we were excited to do, as we believe football is the world’s game."
All participants will get a technical assessment report done by the Professional Football Scouts Association (PFSA) certified scouts. Rather than being an archaic observation, the assessment that the players receive will get to the heart of each strength and weakness an individual might have.
Both Hayes and McGrath explained in entirety how each individual player will be gaged. The scouts will use the four-corner assessment model, which has been utilized by the Football Association.
What is the four-corner model?
The model breakdowns a player’s qualities into four aspects - technical and tactical, psychological, physical, and social. McGrath explained how the model will help individual players, saying:
"You give players this assessment and they’re able to have a professional viewpoint, which allows them to analyze themselves. It’s not a pressure document but a pure analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, it comes from someone neutral."
If our horrid childhood memories are anything to go by, then report cards haven't been our dearest friends. Hence, processing what is essentially a mark sheet for these young footballers might not be the easiest task.
Well, Hayes, backed by his years of experience in dealing with young footballers, explained what this analysis means and how youngsters can make them a lot less daunting. The ProSoccerGlobal Director stated:
"At the end of the day, scouting is an opinion, it’s subjective. No one’s ever 100 percent correct, especially when you’re identifying talent at a young age. The good thing about the program we have set up is that it’s age-specific and position-specific as well.
"This isn’t a review of how they’re gonna be but how they’re right now. We have seen players who have improved massively."
"Expected the coaching level to be a lot higher" - Premier League scouts have their say on the talent on offer and the footballing structure in India
It's not every day you get an opportunity to be analyzed by some of the best scouts in the footballing business. But IKF has managed to make that a reality for many aspiring footballers. However, scouting brings along scrutiny and how we digest and utilize it.
In a well-established cliche now, India has long been touted as the "Sleeping Giant" when it comes to football. While being questioned by Sportskeeda about the assessment of the Indian players, both Hayes and McGrath resoundingly agreed that it was in the tactical department that these players fell behind. Hayes opined:
"Physically, the players I have seen in India are without a shadow of a doubt on par with the players we have seen in Europe and the rest of the world. Actually, fitness-wise, they’re at least on par or even better.
"I would say technically, we have seen both sides of the coin. We saw some players who definitely needed support. But some players were quite technically gifted as well. But the biggest thing was tactical. I don’t think they understand the tactical side of the game. Even at a young age, you need to understand the tactical side of the game. For me, that’s the biggest thing missing."
Why do Indian players fall behind when it comes to the technical aspect? Well, the answer Hayes elucidated is simple. He said:
"The tactical side of it comes from the coach and I expected the coaching level to be a lot higher than what it is in the country."
McGrath, quite like Hayes, had a lot of encouraging words when it came to the physical and social aspects of these aspiring Indian footballers from all nooks and corners of the country. He stated:
"As IKF conducts multi-city trials, we had a good snapshot of the range of talent from India. But there was one group of boys from Manipur, who stood out from the rest physically. I have seen players from all over the world, but perhaps only Ghanaians are the only ones who would come close. These boys would physically run rings around any other player I have ever seen."
Speaking about the social aspect, McGrath added:
"The actual character of every girl and guy in the camps was unbelievable. The respect, politeness, and courtesy they showed were impressive."
Both Hayes and McGrath have been involved with footballing structures across the globe for years. They opined in unison that the first step for India to realize their footballing ambitions is setting up the right framework for coaches. Hayes explained:
"There needs to be a framework for coaching. If you don’t get the right coaches, you won’t get the right players. I know there’s coach accreditation and stuff in India but it’s like learning to drive a car. As soon as the instructor is gone and you pass the test, no one’s checking how you drive the car."
"You can have accreditation as a coach but it doesn’t mean you’re a good coach. It just means you passed the test. Along with the coaching framework, I think you need a philosophy, a DNA in Indian football."
"The scouting culture is missing in India" - India Khelo Football's elaborate vision to create a wholesome footballing culture in the country
Grassroots football development in India is still at a very nascent stage. The idea of what compromises a good scout is still a bit of a stretch for many to imagine. Predominantly, for many, it's still about one look and an instant comment like, "He's got an alright left foot!"
Hence, Hayes tried to break down what made someone a proficient scout, saying:
"Never have a bias. Never have a preconceived idea of who you’re going to watch or what to expect. When you talk about the grassroots level, the main thing is to go and watch players. Don’t go to games, watch a little bit and move on."
Under the tutelage of co-founders Phani Bhushan and Hitesh Joshi, IKF has started to address the gaping holes in the Indian footballing structure. Their vision is straightforward and simple - focusing on the holistic development of football in the country. Talent from every corner of India has to be brought to the forefront.
For that to happen, a group of elite-level scouts needs to be established in the country and IKF has taken responsibility on their shoulders. Phani Bhushan revealed:
"The scouting culture is missing in India. We are trying to create the largest pool of scouts in the country who are going to each and every tournament. To do this, we have initiated a process called scouting certification. The PFSA will provide the basic certification course."
A flurry of historic results from Asian powerhouses in the ongoing FIFA World Cup has led many to ponder upon the way forward for Indian football.
Meanwhile, with their marquee workshop in partnership with ProSoccer Global and their vision to establish an elite scouting network in the country, India Khelo Football has already authenticated its realistic approach to the problem on the ground.
The organization is demonstrating that the answer is not to take an insurmountable leap without any irrational thinking but to slowly lay down the steps to conquer great heights.
