Interview with Pele: India need to work hard to become a footballing powerhouse

Pele waves to the starstruck crowd upon his arrival in Kolkata

Its been a little more than 38 years that the widely acclaimed “God of Football” has come to India. While unlike his last visit in 1977, he wouldn’t be able to step on field this time, all the “Black Pearl” had to do was to wave to a strong crowd at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport to reaffirm that the adulation and love he received back in 1977 will be replicated all over again over the next 5 days.

In an exclusive tete-e-tete with SportsKeeda, he took us down memory lane about the match he played against Mohun Bagan, about the game in India in general and how developing the game at the grassroots is key to rising up in the pecking order of world football.

Excerpts:

You last came to India almost 3 decades back, what do you remember most distinctively from that trip?

It has been a long time, I was a lot younger then! But it was a beautiful trip and the one thing I remember was the unbelievable love I received from the fans.

From what we read, you were really impressed by the Indian players then, we have since spiraled down the pecking order in world football since. Your thoughts on that?

My suggestion to Indian football, is that the most important way to grow the sport is to start with the base. To create an infrastructure, to develop the youth. This can happen in schools, universities, at the club level. No doubt, India has football talent, and if it continues to get experience, and continues to work hard, it can succeed and rise to the same level as other countries.

You have always encouraged development at the grassroots, do you think Subroto Cup is in coherence with your idea of taking the game forward?

The secret to success is to be prepared, to respect people, and never ever think you are the best. Grassroots football is a good way to develop these values in young people. I started playing football in a small town, in the streets, I got my start playing at the grassroots level, too. Today, young people have all this technology to follow the game all over the world, to play in different tournaments and even travel to places like India to play in something like the Subroto Cup.

Finally sir, last year we saw a Brazilian team win the tournament; do you think more such exchanges would help the game prosper in India further?

These types of exchanges are very important. It gives the youth a chance to play and learn, and for them to get experience. Anytime a player has a chance to go abroad to play, it helps them improve their football skills and also develop valuable lessons and form important relationships, both on and off the field.

We would like to thank Libero Sports and the Indian Air Force for the opportunity.