Interview

[somedevil]

Somedevil I thought this might be a podcast of interest to you:

http://www.beyondthepitch.net/podcasts/e...015/09/09/

At around the 54th minute mark there's a discussion about football in India and other parts of South Asia that touches a lot on what we've discussed here. The conversation is worth a listen.

I think when it comes down to it, anyone who understands football seems to agree that South Asia needs to invest in grassroots development and the growth in infrastructure.

Thanks for the link broseph. The biggest problem here is cricket. I was talking to a friend of mine in Boston and he made a point which I thought was valid for India too. He said that the reason why US can't produce top class footballers is coz the best athletes at high school or college level have dreams of NBA/NFL/MLB etc and are unlikely to give importance to MLS. 

He also stressed that even now in the states, despite the increasing popularity of EPL, football is still considered a girls sport or something you play as a kid. Same goes here- all the good athletes here are going to go for cricket tryouts, not football- football is just something you play in school or college for fun. If not cricket, most kids will go for Tennis, golf (which is very fashionable) etc. Most talent is swept up by Cricket/Tennis. 

It's only in the north east that young kids really want to be footballers but then there is not much money and neither is there any sort of an infrastructure (especially up there, coz they are not really rich states). It makes me laugh when people say that ISL means that India can compete with the big guns and that we can even think of WC qualification. I have read journalistic pieces bragging about this 'achievement'. In reality, We can't even compete on an Asian level. 

What they need, which is apparent to even a non pro like me, is a 20 year plan. We are behind world football by at least 40 years. We have no academies, no coaches and not even decent pitches. Besides The kids have nowhere to play (like public spaces). Most of all- we have the evil of cricket. A very small part of the population watches football and that too EPL/LA Liga. Cricket rules this country and I don't see it changing anytime soon. 

It's a stark contrast- you see cricket academies in Bombay- that is some serious business. Proper infrastructure- coaches- facilities - you got everything. No wonder we are so good in that sport. Same goes for Tennis- with all the success Leander etc have gotten internationally- kids really look up to them. As for football- they know who is bhaichung bhutia but that's about it.  

Will India be competitive anytime soon? No. Will we be anywhere in 20 years? I highly doubt so. football here is just a way for whoever is in the show, to make money. Whether it is politicians running the federation or the overpaid no name foreigner coaches or the no name african/south american players who play in the national league. Then of course there is the facade of ISL. 

Sure there are people who want to change things but they probably do not have the resources or the support. 

Personally, Indian football does not interest me one bit and whatever I know is coz of friends who work/play in the scene. Besides, our own Rossoneri have enough problems to keep me perplexed for days