India has the second highest population in the world, yet their national football team underwhelms. They last won the Asian Games in 1962, and they’ve never made the FIFA World Cup or won the AFC Asian Cup.
So why doesn’t India have a better football team?
Sports like cricket, tennis, and field hockey, are flourishing, achieving success nationally for India. With the rise of these sports, football seems to be a lesser priority in India. India’s field hockey team has accumulated eight gold medals at the Olympics. India’s national cricket team won the ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, and Cricket World Cup in 2011.
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The pairing of Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes own the longest winning streak in doubles in the history of the Davis Cup. They have won at Wimbledon in 1999, and also the French Open in 1999 and 2001. Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis won Wimbledon and the US Open in 2015, and the Australian Open in 2016. And in Badminton, Saina Nehwal recorded two Super Series wins, the 2015 India Open and 2016 Australian Open.
India currently has youth teams at U15, U16, U19, and U23, a surprising age, given that most countries top their list at U21. While a structure is in place, it is solely the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) responsibility to obtain more funding from the government and ensure that the system is working to the best of its ability.
Asking for money isn’t as simple as going to the Indian government and getting funding, the government needs to believe that success can realistically happen for them to hand out funds like that. The 2017 FIFA U17 World Cup being held in India is a good sign that the right intentions are being made with the growth of football.
Also, the Indian National Team doesn’t have a permanent venue for their matches, playing in FIFA approved stadiums like the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, and Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune.
Away losses to Guam and Turkmenistan have raised serious questions about the state of the nationality team. With a current national ranking of 162nd and a dismal 1-0-7 showing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification stages, India was already eliminated for 2018 qualification before the end of the round. They tied their worst record in group stage qualification history.
Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the national team, has the second most caps and the most goals of all time for his country with 50 goals in 90 appearances. The big problem – he’s on the wrong side of 30. Chhetri’s retirement will hamper the men’s side, as the current squad called up for the pre-season training camp in Delhi has only 22 goals combined.
For India to succeed in the national level a couple of key changes need to be made immediately.
Encourage participation in football
A survey done on sports participation in India by YouGov has football ranked 7th out of 10 sports. This is behind cricket, badminton, swimming, table tennis, cycling, and tennis. If more people participate in the structure on a national level, it could lead to more talent being discovered. Technically speaking, the bottom two points would improve participation for men wanting to play football in India.
Funding
Like everything in life, funding is essential to for succeed. In a big country like India, there are currently only seven FIFA approved stadiums in the whole country. If success is to be had, the funds need to be available for the AIFF to distribute as they see fit. Youth academies, training facilities, and perhaps even more money towards the players to name a few.
Eliminate the dual nationality rule
The government of India instituted a rule stating anyone with dual nationality is ineligible for the national team. At a point where the national team is nearly at an all-time low, the national side cannot afford to be held back any further, especially on a rule that was instituted by the government of the country itself. (lowest rank was 175 in March 2015).
The government feels allowing Indian origin foreign athletes to play for India would hamper the prospects of homegrown athletes. While their reason is valid, it is actually hurting the team more this way. In most cases doing what others do may not always be right, but if the Blue Tigers are to make a serious push for qualifying for the biggest football tournament in the world, they can’t afford to hinder themselves.
Upcoming Fixtures
The Blue Tigers can play for pride and embark on a new era with an away fixture at Bhutan on August 13 and a home fixture on September 4 against Puerto Rico. In the Asian Cup Qualifying Third Round, they could face the likes of Malaysia, Bahrain, Jordan and Oman to name a few.
India is hoping to compete in the Asian Cup for the first time since 2011 and record a win in the Asian Cup. Their last appearance in the final of an Asian Cup was in the 1964 edition, the year they finished as runners-up.
While the outlook is hazy, it is yet to be seen if the men representing India’s national football team can bring back the glory this country deserves, starting in 2019 for the Asian Cup, and then 2022 in the FIFA World Cup.
