India has the ingredients, but needs a recipe for football: Peter Leible, DFL Sports Enterprises

Leible believes India has a lot to offer

Indian Football has been an apt summary of the ailing state of Indian sports over the years and has been surrounded by a bubble of negativity that it has carried over the past decades. With a lowly FIFA Ranking to go with it, Indian Football has flirted with extinction over the past years.

Despite the recent developments in Indian Football with the launch of the Indian Super League and the nation being granted the 2017 U-17 World Cup, questions remain over India’s ability to produce a top level national team and to enhance the overall interest of the sport in the Indian audiences

Kushal Das, the General Secretary of the All India Football Federation, acknowledged the problems the football in the country is facing and stressed the need for one unified league to help propel the nation's footballing fortunes. “I feel India needs to have one unified league for the betterment of the game as that's a more sustainable, “ said Das while addressing the India Football Forum in Mumbai today.

Ayaz Memon, who chaired the conference at the Indian Football Forum, sounded a lot more positive about the affairs in the Indian game and highlighted the change in perception of Indian Football as a key factor in the growth of the game. “I feel Indian Football's perception has changed for the good. I feel Indian Football is perceived to be on the up on global stage with the ISL and I feel it is the first step in actually raising the level of Indian Football,” said Memon.

India has a lot of clubs compared to other developing countries: Peter Leible, DFL Sports Enterprise

A testimony to Ayaz Memon's thought is the perception and analysis of Indian Football by Peter Leible the Chief Representative, Asia Pacific, of the Deutsche Football League. Leible saw India having a solid base for the growth and development of Football as compared to China.

“In India I see a lot of kids playing on the street. In addition India has a lot of clubs as well, which is not the case in China. So I feel India have a very strong base for growth in football, but it needs a structure to make use of this base,” expressed Leible, who has been involved in the outstanding growth of German football over the last decade.

The new generation of Indian Football doesn’t carry the baggage of its failures in the past: Joy Bhattacharya, Project Director, 2017 U-17 World Cup

The 2017 U-17 World Cup is tipped to change the landscape of Indian Football. Joy Bhattacharya, the Director of the project, revealed that the younger generation in India have grown up watching International football and have the confidence of top class players and don’t carry the baggage of Indian Football’s failures.

“I think the new generation of Indian footballers are fearless. They have grown up watching International Football and believe that they can match that level. They don’t carry the baggage of Indian Football’s failures of the past and that’s a huge positive for Indian Football,” said Joy Bhattacharya, speaking at the Indian Football forum.

We need to treat our players better: Mustafa

The biggest problem that Indian Football has faced has been the lack of professionalism across its bodies and the football clubs. Indian footballers have run out of passion with ailing bank balances adding to their woes and that’s one thing that is changing in the last few years.

Leading the change have been JSW's Bengaluru FC. Mustafa Ghouse, the CEO of JSW Sports who was on the panel at the Indian Football Forum, highlighted the need to take care of the players.

“I think that we need to treat our players a lot better. So far, players used to sign on blank contracts and were hoping to get paid. But that needs to change if we want more and more youngsters to take up football we need to have a professional set-up,” said Ghouse as he concluded the growth & development session at the Indian Football Forum.