Why football can usurp cricket in India

Easier said than done of course as we are not talking about any sport, we are talking about cricket and it may be just a sport anywhere else, but it’s a religion over here. However no one is above anyone and everyone enjoys equal opportunity and even though cricket currently undoubtedly enjoys number 1 status in India, there are plenty of reasons why that could be under serious threat, especially from the beautiful game.

The emergence of TV channels like Ten Network, ESPN, Star Sports and Neo group means there is more focus on the game than what was done previously. One gets to watch all types of football - the classical South American, the exciting mix of European and the emerging Asian styles provide ample opportunities to an aspiring player looking to learn and improve.

People, especially parents, now realize that football can be a fruitful career for their child or their loved one, which previously was unimaginable, so we have hoards of people coming into the game and a lot has been done at youth or the grassroots level which is the right way to go about it. The change of mind-set will play a pivotal role in this. Programs like the one organized by Airtel to send Indian children to Manchester United academy will act as huge motivational factors.

Top clubs from around the world recognize the potential that India has both in terms of talent and marketing opportunities. In recent years we had teams like Argentina, Venezuela, Bayern Munich and Blackburn Rovers coming to India. There was even news of Juventus and Manchester United coming to Kolkata for a preseason friendly before logistics got in the way. These seasoned clubs would not do that unless they see rewards at the end of it and these rewards are not limited to those clubs only, Indian football fraternity stands to gain a lot too.

Cricket in India has been courting a lot of controversies in last few years, whether it be the perennial issue of match fixing or any other related to IPL; it does take its toll with all who want a squeaky clean image of the game. It’s true that India won the 2011 edition of the ICC World Cup and 2007 T20 World Cup, but the performances in the last 12 months have been woeful to say the least, in all formats of the game. On the other hand, performance of Football in India is on the up with Indian team lifting the Nehru cup for the third time in a row against Cameroon. One can draw same comparisons between this scenario and how cricket usurped Hockey. I am also sure that money coming into the game is only a matter of time.

The achievements of players like Sunil Chhetri, Brandon Fernandes and Brishti Bagchi (in case of women) will not go unnoticed and we need role models in every walk of life and these two could be the people which may inspire many in years to come.

In the global arena football has a bigger market than cricket and football now is capturing the imagination of Indian public, and slowly but surely catching up with cricket and can surely usurp cricket. I am not saying that it will happen overnight but potential is certainly there. Whatever happens I am sure every Indian is going to be a winner.