The most popular sport in India has always been the gentleman’s game, cricket. But unabashed television coverage of the English, Spanish and Italian football leagues over the years in the country is an obvious indication that the emperor of all sports, football, is admired in a country that propels all its energy into cricket. One glance at the newspapers is testimony to the fact that cricket is undoubtedly the dominant sport hogging the top sports headlines while football is confined to a smallish section with news on the domestic Indian football league non-existent. However, not many are aware of the fact that before cricket evolved into the nation’s top sporting priority, India had a reasonably good football team that claimed top honours at the international level winning gold twice in the Asian Games in 1951 & 1962 along with bronze in the 1958 & 1970 editions. The team made history by being the first Asian team to reach the semi-finals in the Olympics ultimately claiming fourth place in that event in 1956; Neville D’Souza going down as the first Asian player to score a hat-trick in the Olympics. Undoubtedly, this was the finest period of Indian football with the likes of PK Bannerjee, Chuni Goswami, Salien Manna and Peter Thangaraj forming the core of the team. Apart from being fine players, they were internationally recognized for their achievements, for instance, Salien Manna was voted one of the ten best captains in the world by the English Football Association in 1953. Unfortunately, these names fail to resonate with our countrymen today thanks to the media for an overdose of cricket. After the golden phase of Indian football ran its course, the subsequent generation of players and authorities were unable to generate the same level of interest in the game thereby, diminishing the popularity of the beautiful game in the country.
In recent years, the Indian team has savoured success during the tenure of Bob Houghton as coach – winning the 2007 & 2009 Nehru Cup and also the 2008 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup. But, let’s not forget that these wins came against feeble oppositions and it’s when the team is confronted with a real challenge that they falter, for instance, failing to score a single win in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in a group that included South Korea, Bahrain and Australia.
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India is a wonderful country but is famed for its colossal scale of corruption and haphazard approach to planning and orderliness. The world was witness to the nation’s chaotic attitude in the build-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi. Such is the case with football administration as well – politics and unresolved differences in opinions dominate proceedings while passion and professionalism are thrown out the window, thereby, stifling scope for progress. The respective state associations have constantly been adamant about working collectively and it is unfortunate that despite its affiliation to FIFA since 1948, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has failed to revitalize the sport which is hampered further by poor infrastructure, moderate facilities and insipid marketing. So, what needs to be done to enhance the status of football in our country?
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Improving the state of football in India is an arduous journey yet an attainable target that demands perseverance, dedication, professionalism and sincerity to kick things off. There needs to be an overhaul of the current AIFF committee with experts who understand not just the nuances of the game, but also, possess the wisdom on how to engineer the youth system – the key to laying a solid foundation for the future. A few bold decisions have to be made in regards to setting long-term realistic targets, like say – making it to the 2022 World Cup finals and then work around it. Moreover, the AIFF team should bring in expert marketing gurus who can uplift the prospects of football right from the grassroots level. World-class academies and stadiums need to be constructed, and qualified coaches need to be roped in to groom talented youngsters. Experienced former players should get involved and encouraged to have a say in the managerial process. The media should implement the role of promoting football on all media platforms and throw light on India’s domestic league, the I-league (established in 2007), which would then stir up interest in the sport. The I-League has expanded from ten teams to fourteen but, at the moment, teams come from only eight cities with three each from Mumbai and Kolkata. The league receives abysmal publicity because Zee Sports, the broadcaster that owned the rights of the league for the first three seasons, terminated the contract in 2010 and since then the league kicks on with no official broadcast and this obviously hampers the growth of football further.
Nothing is possible in the world of sport today without the lure of money – appropriate funding must be provided by the government, organizations, corporates and clubs. Apart from negligible exposure, the league is short on finances that in turn results in zilch marketing. Famous personalities in the country such as film stars and businessmen should come forward and invest in the sport in place of their undying devotion to the much-hyped Indian Premier League (cricket) and purchasing stakes in overseas football clubs – apparent evidence that money is available and just needs to be directed appropriately to fortify the sport in India and attempt to attract overseas players to the league. Yes, we can’t match the salary demands of the Messis, the Rooneys and the Ronaldos but there is the capacity to pull in good players who have played in top international leagues because the I-league allows a team to recruit upto four overseas players and it is worth citing at this point that the top scorer in the I-league over the last four seasons has been Onyeka Okolie from Nigeria who plays for Mohun Bagan.
International teams and clubs travel to the country for a one-off game, such as the recent Argentina vs.Venezuela friendly in Kolkata, but these games are money-making routines for the players and organizers, and apart from the momentary buzz, the interest fizzles out in no time. On a bright note, Liverpool FC launched a football academy headed by football expert and former English player, Steve McMahon, in New Delhi in August this year and is a wonderful launch-pad for aspiring young footballers. It is a pity that it has taken a person of foreign origin to build the academy whilst Indians who can afford the investment have their priorities elsewhere.
All it takes is a collective effort from all quarters with constant encouragement and support. As fans of the sport, we wait with bated breath for that one special talent, that one elusive moment and one influential executive in power who can inspire and pave the way for the amplification of the prospects of the beautiful game in the country and more importantly, build a good national team for the future that can help India cherish international status once again, no strings attached.
