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FOOTBALL'S SLEEPING GIANT READY TO BE WOKEN UP

It is hard to imagine that India, a country of over billion people, is not a part of an event that has attracted viewers from across the world. We have failed to make an impact in the sport of football. We are not even on the game's map. Currently placed at 146th in the FIFA rankings, the future doesn’t look too bright either. The last time we qualified for the World Cup was in 1950. As the story goes, the players pulled out of the competition because they weren’t allowed to play barefoot. Now, with the tournament going on in Brazil and to see a fair share of Indian fans supporting other countries, donning jerseys of different nations, evokes variety of emotions.

Most of us know the reasons why we have failed to produce world class football players. For those who don’t (I don’t think you are interested in knowing anyways). Still, these are some of the very basic reasons:
 Poor infrastructure – Just look at India football stadiums. It lacks basic amenities. Grounds lack grass and it is uneven.

·      Weak administration – All India Football Federation (AIFF) is the body assigned to manage the sport in India. Its political appointees rarely take interest in the game. The organisation was formed in 1937, but took more than a decade to get affiliated with FIFA, the world apex football body.

·      India is a cricketing nation – Cricket is the most popular sport in India. It has sponsors and is glamorised, which attracts youngsters. The pay is also good. India’s cricket captain MS Dhoni was a goal keeper before he turned into a wicketkeeper, Sourav Ganguly, India’ former cricket captain, is a huge football fan.

·     Poor Fitness level of Indian football players – Fitness level of players in India is a big cause of concern. 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.

·     Training – Improvement in coaching standards is a must for players to develop into world class players.

These are some of the reasons why we have to sit at home and cheer for other countries while watching the game. However, there is some good news for Indian football fans - India is hosting under-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017. It will be the right opportunity of putting the best foot forward and bring the change which is desperately required in the game in the country.

The growing popularity of the game in the nation is attracting some of football’s big names. Liverpool FC, a top football club in English football have opened an academy in India, FC Barcelona are looking to do the same in future. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has acknowledged India as a ‘sleeping giant’ ready to be woken up.

India still has a long way to go but with right approach and better facilities, we can see our tricolour flying high internationally. For the time being it is Indian fans who are carrying that honour in Brazil. They are making their presence felt albeit in small numbers in the ‘Land of Parrots’.  

Images courtesy : google.com 
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