Why football in India remains cricket's poor cousin

Here’s a simple experiment for an Indian football fan to try. Venture beyond the traditional football strongholds of West Bengal, Goa, Kerela, the North-Eastern states and some select urban pockets. Now try to start a football discussion with a random person. You will, in all likelihood, receive a blank stare, a few giggles or if you are lucky, a mention of the previous FIFA World Cup. Why does the world’s most popular sport draw such less following in India, a country which is otherwise rather quick to adapt to global trends?

The reason that tops everyone’s list is the massive popularity of cricket. Whenever any debate about the condition of football and other lesser favoured sports takes place, cricket is the unanimous punching bag. But is that the sole reason why the Indian football team languishes at the bottom of the FIFA rankings? I feel that blaming the winner for running away with the first prize is not only uncalled for, but also rather silly.

Not that long ago, cricket was trapped in the domain of the metro cities. It was hockey which ruled the minds of the public with an iron fist. However, a steady decline in the performance of the Indian hockey team meant that a void was created that begged to be filled. This is where cricket stepped up. Though bashed in nearly every series played outside the subcontinent, the Indian cricketers came from nowhere to win the 1983 World Cup and created something that the average Indian could latch on to.

Contrast this with the golden opportunity that was frittered away by the AIFF (All India Football Federation). The Indian team was invited to be a part of the 1950 FIFA WC. FIFA even agreed to finance a major part of the travelling and living expenses of the team. Yet, the AIFF refused to participate citing ridiculous reasons such as the players inability to play with shoes (shoes were mandatory while Indians preferred playing barefoot). This happened during Indian football’s golden age and India could have easily made its mark in the competition. However, it was not meant to be and as a result, football never quite managed to capture public imagination the way cricket did.

Another major factor is the inclination of kids to take up a particular sport. Excelling in cricket can lead to a stint in the IPL and the Indian cricket team. Endorsements follow inevitably which means that a cricketer is rolling in money in his 20’s. Being a star performer on the football field will land you a job in the Indian Railways or any other such government undertaking. Are parents really to be blamed for assuming that their son’s dedication to football will lead nowhere and he is better off studying or at least playing cricket?

Anyone who has played football at any level can vouch for the fact that football requires tremendous levels of fitness. The issue of fitness has rarely been a priority with Indians. It is possible for a player with a beer belly like Ramesh Powar to play international cricket but he cannot even dream of playing club football. Our genetics are also partly to be blamed for this. The Indian body has been conditioned by evolution to store fat and not to build muscle (India’s history of famines is supposed to be the reason). It is no co-incidence that India performs very poorly in the Olympics in sports that demand superlative fitness. I absolutely do not imply that this factor can be a permanent hindrance. The answer may simply be that Indians may need to spend more time in the gym. If and when football rivals cricket in popularity, budding footballers will surely find the motivation to do the extra work.

The reasons for the poor condition of football in India are an amalgamation of all the above factors and expecting to find a solution instantly is too optimistic. However, I believe that there is enough talent in the country to ensure that given the right conditions, Indian football can flourish and fans will follow the i-league as fanatically as the EPL.