Indian Football-Needs of the Hour!!

While India managed to put up some decent fights against much higher ranked opponents in the Asia Cup 2011, some questioned were also raised at the same time regarding the teams performance which saw them scoring 3 goals whereas conceded as many as 13 goals despite being the second nation to qualify for the grand event which is equivalent to the Euro Cup.

Though now the tournament is over, All Indian Football Federation cannot afford to just sit and relax. They need to be pro-active to make India a name to reckon with in the Asian circuit. Certain areas need to be worked out in order to bring some hope for the few football fans in the Cricket Crazy Nation.

Lets see what are the thing AIFF need to work out on:

1. Create a well Structured Second Division League

It has been pointed out from some time but hardly any concrete steps were taken by the federation on this matter. A well structured league will not only help in having a solid base for the beautiful game in the country but will also help in creating a large pool of players which will form the base of having a solid National team. It will indirectly attract more crowds and thus will help in popularizing the sport among the 1-Dimensional cricket enthusiasts. Currently the Second Division does not even lasts 3 weeks.

2. Create a proper Youth Development plan

This simple concept will do a world of good for the Indian football setup. Creating a Youth Development plan includes the setup of full fledged Youth Academies. One lively example is none other than the World Champions Spain. Their Youth Development Plan is one excellent example AIFF can look upon. The youths should be given proper guidance from as early as 5-6 years age. Not only good coaching but also feeding them with proper diet is essential. The sooner it is done, the better it is for the game’s development in our country.

3. Bring the game to every part of the country

As it is happening now, the National Football League i.e. the i-League is in its 12th round and no broadcast partners are yet found. Its the worst advertisement for the game a federation can give. If no one can watch the game on TV then how can you expect to have proper fan following. This in turn backfires at them with low attendances. This step should be taken with immediate effect.

4. Infrastructure needs to be improved

Good ground conditions along with proper training grounds are needed

We all know what is the effect of proper infrastructure on the quality of the game can do. There is a definite lack of quality stadiums in our country. Take for example the ground at Kannur (Viva Kerala’s current home ground) is no where near suitable for proper football. Drastic ground conditions leads to significant decrement in the overall quality of the game. Proper grounds with practice pitches are also required for proper development of the game. It will also mean that our National team won’t have to go for expensive trips outside India due to the lack of proper training facilities.

5. Play More friendly matches

The National team including the juniors and the U-23 team should be given sufficient International exposure for improving their game accordingly.

Beside these few points there are countless number of points that could have been added. Football in India is still like an unexplored expedition. There are numerous surprises ready to be discovered. We are lagging by quite a bit in terms of development of the game compared to our Asian counterparts. Proper steps should be taken by the Football Federation as early as possible.