An open letter to Sachin Tendulkar by an Indian football fan

Sachin Tendulkar (Photo by Mahendra Parikh/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

I was once a crazy cricket fan, who used to watch every single game. I was even in the stadium to watch Netherlands play West Indies in the 2011 World Cup in Delhi, followed by a Kenya-Canada match. I was sitting in near empty stands, enjoying the game I loved without a sigh or grief about the low number of spectators.

Though I was a keen follower of football for some five years then, a year hence the ICC World Cup triumph, I went crazy, thought the ball should be bigger, and became a vivid Indian football follower. Just as the team lifted the World Cup, I dreamed of seeing the Blue Tigers do just the same. And the day that happens, trust me, I will be the happiest. And the way you had tears in your eyes after the 2011 triumph, I too will have wet eyes.

Times have been frustrating if you are an Indian football fan. The team has failed to make any mark even at the Asian stage, keep aside the international stage. The domestic league has turned futile and with a rather stagnant progress, it is a little worrying as well.

The Indian football team had qualified for the 1950 World Cup, albeit as a result of the withdrawal of their scheduled opponents, and locked horns in the subsequent Olympic Games in 1952 before grabbing the second spot in the 1954 Asian Games, a couple of tears prior to finishing fourth in the 1956 Olympics – probably the biggest day in Indian football history.

That is one era; present is another, where Indian football is found wanting, failing to qualify at the Asian level, let alone sowing any dreams of a respectable finish. India last qualified for the AFC Asian Cup in 2011, where they lost every single game. The chance that came after a long wait of 24 years went begging.

Though the Indian team has fared relatively better on home soil, with the team bagging a hat-trick of Nehru Cup titles as they got past a Cameroon B side in the final on penalties last year, the woes continue on foreign soil.

While Indian football has seen a steep rise in the fan following, all of whom dream of a day when they could see their Blue Tigers fighting it out with the top footballing nations in the World in the FIFA World Cup, the national league- the I-League, which provides ground for national team players is hanging by a thread.

If things were not already bad, there is an IPL style league about to hit the ground running come early next year. Though the impact and bearing of the league, formed by the commercial partner of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), on the I-League is yet to be seen, with chances of the ball going in either court, the clash between bodies and probability of rival leagues emerging means Indian football is staring down the barrel with players standing to lose out.

If all this was not enough, the Indian superstar and captain cool signed up as the brand ambassador of English Premier League in India. Does this mean the audience will further move away from Indian football?

As it is, football fans in India are obsessed with the EPL and their respective teams, claiming it to be their own. The fans have a sense of belongingness with the club and are seen fighting verbal battles with their peers in support of their teams and go to the extent of taking the verbal rants to dirty levels.

When the headlines read: “Star Sports ropes in Mahendra Singh Dhoni as brand ambassador of EPL in India,” it came as a heartbreak for whatever few true Indian football fans we have, seeing the Indian cricket team captain promote the league they have been wary of for the length of the domestic league, with all the eyeballs concentrated on the much superior European league.

And we Indian football fans are just left wondering if a day would ever be possible with people feeling so connected with say, a Dempo or Pune FC or an East Bengal.

But it doesn’t really surprise me or put me off. Indian football is way below the international standard and more than a sea level below their European counterparts.

The clubs, who form the base of the pillar, just failed to fulfil the licensing criteria. The clubs have failed to create a fan base, lacking fan developmental or community developmental activities. The infrastructure is in a rather sorry state, viewers on the ground can be counted on fingers, while the eyeballs on TV are just a shade over.

East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are happy with the derby attendance, while India’s most successful club and three time champions Dempo SC are yet to announce an official fan page. Pune FC, despite their great efforts, is still an unknown entity in Pune.

While the North-Eastern clubs light a little ray of hope, the emergence of corporate teams like Bengaluru FC gives faith, with the club having made a good start in terms of fan engagement and announcing themselves on the scene.

Despite rich history and archive of football, the football hub of India- Kolkata lacks academies and youth development is nearly non-existent, which has failed to see good talent coming into the national setup.

The league has not been able to draft in a sponsor or have a full-time broadcaster, though Ten Action telecasts most of the games.

Though the quality of foreign players invading the land have been ever increasing, raising the level of play, what hasn’t got better is the marketing, which has left the league a rather unknown quantity.

With commercialisation comes more money, with money comes the power to spend, and with that comes the ability to see through most of the developmental projects.

To be honest, as it stands, to see the league soar high seems a mere dream. And to put it straight and blatantly, Indian football is in dire need of a facelift.

Members of the Indian football team during a practice session in Greater Noida on Tuesday, 21st August 2012. (Photo by Qamar Sibtain/India Today Group/Getty Images)

The FIFA rankings don’t look too good, with India on a downslide for the last ten odd years, falling below teams like Afghanistan with virtually no money.

There would be few names that would crop up above MS Dhoni in terms of popularity in the country. To add to all this, with the Ranchi lad having allied with EPL as their ambassador in India, we die hard Indian football fans are worried further.

As an endeavour to lift India’s own league, we plead to you- Sachin Tendulkar, popular across the world – to come ahead to be the brand ambassador of the I-League. There is no one more popular than you, the little master, in the country and with you now being a Member of Parliament, the responsibility to raise the level of sports in the country is greater than ever.

As nice a man as you are, we are sure you would agree to take it forward, because you being a sportsperson know the amount of talent we have in our country. It’s just about giving that boost, that spark to help the game rise from the ashes. Not only would it get more eyeballs, it will give it a commercial aspect to work upon, to go with a host of young players looking up to play the sport.

A plethora of celebrities ranging from Bollywood superstars and other star sportsmen in the country have been vocal of their love for the game, and despite Pepsi launching their campaign of “change the game”, neither has the game changed nor much in the game.

Unfortunately, a lot of it is concerned with European football. There is still no support for Indian football. No one has ever turned up in an Indian football club match or the national team’s match. Though they have no obligation to do it, it certainly is a moral responsibility to see the game you love make progress in the country.

As huge an Indian market is for football, given the La Liga shifted their timings to suit Indian viewers and the EPL is coming up with Hindi commentary, we are waiting for some change happening in the Indian scenario – a trickle-down effect on Indian football.

With the U-17 World Cup in sight, Indian football is standing at a critical juncture, with one wrong move taking India 10 years back, while with your support, the game will rise manifolds and more youngsters would be prompted to take up the beautiful game. And as Swami Vivekananda said: “You will be nearer to Heaven playing football than through study of Gita.”

There hasn’t been much effort on part of the governing body in the country, failing to market the league well, though the onus lies on commercial partners IMG-Reliance. AIFF haven’t pushed them enough properly.

We had a Dutch Technical Director in Rob Baan, who boasts of a huge experience in the game. And being a native of the Orange land, Baan put his footballing knowledge to the best to formulate a Lakshya 2022 plan as a roadmap for Indian football.

We fans had hope, but a year down the line, the TD is set to snub a contract extension as he is gutted with the way football is being run here, and his plan ‘Lakshya’, one year into its inception, is still a mere document of some 125 pages. Where do we have hope? Where do we go from here? When can we see good? When will our persistence pay? Will it ever? A lot depends on you, Sir!

With you there, I see full stadiums, all out support, with Manchester United jerseys replaced by an Indian club jersey, sponsors jostling to be associated with the league, someday Indians supporting their own nation in the World Cup. At least I dream of this, seeing it come true with your inevitable support.

I hope you will understand the concerns and oblige us. Though our body AIFF hasn’t approached you, I know somewhere deep within me, having followed you for over 20 years, you will do something to try nicking in a change. After all, you were the one who said recently- “I hope India qualifies for the 2022 World Cup.” To be very frank with you, as things stand, forget 2022, we are not going to make it even in 2042 without your support and much more.

We know the god of one religion (cricket) is secular and would help other religions as well (football). And given that happens, I see the writing on the wall—– a happy story for Indian football.

Thanking You,

Sincerely,

A true Indian football fan (and a big Tendulkar fan – the entire country is. Respect for you, Sir!)