Indian juniors still not good enough : Roberto Olabe, Director - Aspire Academy

Indian U-19 players lack fitness

During one of my meetings with Roberto Olabe, football director at Doha’s Aspire Academy, I casually asked him as to why teams from south Asian countries, particularly from India, don’t get the opportunity to play here. Every year, ASPIRE organises friendly mini-tournaments for age-group teams, inviting top junior club teams from around the globe.

The Spaniard cleared my doubts with a straight reply which may offend the big bosses at the All India Football Federation and the various clubs and coaches.

“You guys don’t have that level,” he said. Olabe enjoyed a successful professional playing career expanding over 15 years, most of them with Real Sociedad in La Liga.

Last year in October, Olabe watched the Indian U-19 team in Doha during the qualifiers of Asian U-19 Championship. Everybody was convinced that the Indian youth teams lack fitness. As Olabe added, the team seriously lack the requisite fitness level to sustain in a 90-minute match. According to him, ASPIRE want to invite teams from nations who have a football pedigree. India, unfortunately, don’t fall into that bracket. Olabe was Sociedad’s Sports Director in 2002 and in the same year, the Spanish club qualified for UEFA Champions League.

I didn’t have any words to challenge his argument. The Indian juniors, however, thought of very highly back in their country, are definitely not good enough to play in international events. Uzbekistan and even hosts Qatar, against whom they played goalless till half-time, showed that Indian football roots are not really strong enough to walk the tight-rope.