Indian Football: Are we on the level playing field ?

Yes, we are a cricket loving nation. Yes, cricket is our religion and we all have grown up watching the sport. So is cricket to blame for other sports like football being overshadowed? It might be one of the reasons, but it’s not the only reason. Do you think this the only reason why football hasn’t got its share, despite being the most followed and popular sport around the globe. Cricket is not to blamed, but may be the sports council/authorities and the policies adopted towards football should be.

So if football is so popular, why is it that Indian football is still goes unnoticed? It’s a worrying sign. We are just not cricket centric, but a sport loving nation as a whole. So what’s wrong? Is the country unable to generate a talent pool? Well, all I’ve heard about this issue is the lack of talent, every time one talks about the condition of Indian football. Being an ardent sports lover and a football evangelist, I have a fair bit of knowledge that talent is certainly not the obstacle. It is the poor infrastructure and the lack of inflow of money in the game, which has been a stumbling block for the Indian football for years and years and years.

Though we have brought changes into the game by involving foreign coaches and trainers with better equipped facilities as compared to earlier years, we have still failed to impress as a footballing nation at the international level. The team has developed as compared to a decade ago, but the improvement is still not enough. The primary reason being the poor infrastructure and training facilities. Let’s look at a few of the issues, which are acting as the road blocks:

Poor Infrastructure:

It is very important to have a proper infrastructure in the first place, irrespective of the sport. Even a workplace requires proper infrastructure for better functioning. It is imperative to have a proper infrastructure at the grass root level. The condition of the football stadiums and the playing ground is in a dire situation. It not only deteriorates the level of the game but also results in injuries. Forget about the international standards, we even fail to match the Asian standards in all forms; be it the level of game played, infrastructure, stadium and technology.

Poor infrastructure results in poor conditioning of the game and does not allow the standards to climb the ladder.

Lack of Funds:

We cannot shy away from the fact that our country possess huge amount of funds. Cricket and the Indian Premier League are a prime example. Recently we have also saw inroads in hockey with the beginning of the Indian Hockey League. But the problem lies with the fact that the funds are used where the sport is already established. The amount of money that is pumped into the game of football in the country is not at all acceptable. There has to be huge investment if the country wants to be recognised as a footballing nation. To improve the infrastructure, to tap talent and adopt re-structuring from the grass root level, funds are needed.

Also to motivate the youngsters to pursue football as a career, it is very important to show some form of monetary rewards so more people will be willing to join the game and as a result talent can be tapped in at a very early age. Investment can do wonders. Comparing the game to earlier times, investments have increased and as a result we have witnessed services of foreign coaches and training staff which have improved the level of game considerably. So it is evident that if money is pumped in and more resources are brought in, the standard of the game will improve and help the game achieve more exposure.

Creating awareness among the people:

Indians do love football and more and more people are joining in the league. Any doubts? You have got to visit Kolkatta and Goa. We have huge base of football followers all over India. However when it comes to Indian football, people are shy to talk about the game. The reason being that the country ranks poorly and the state of the game is below par. It is very important for the authorities to bring more and more people to watch and follow the game and also support the same.

Initially, the games of I-League, India’s own football league like the English Premier league were not telecasted on Television. All that was known about the game was through the newspapers and internet which did not help the cause. However, with the growing popularity of the game, the matches are now being telecasted on television which has provided exposure to the game massively.

The fan base for the game is growing and the level of the game has to improve to prove ourselves that we can compete at the highest level. This is proven by our legends like Bhaichung Bhutia and our current skipper Sunil Chhetri, who have done a lot of good for the game in the country. Bhutia is India’s unsung hero and has carried Indian football on his shoulders for years. He was the first Indian to have trials with top league English clubs like Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa. He was also the first Indian to represent India in Europe.

Chhetri also made our country proud as he also represented India in the United States playing on loan with Kansas Wizard City and in Portugal for Sporting Club de Portugal B. This showcases that we certainly do not lack talent. All that is needed is inflow of funds, better training facilities and motivation and commitment towards the sport.

‘Talent will result from nurturing. To experience talent, we have to nurture it’