AIFF should take actions before it is too late

Football has taken a back seat in the nation

Disproportionate representation

Over the decades, Indian football has been witnessing the rise of teams mainly from West Bengal, Goa and Kerala. Other parts of the country hardly account for major clubs, a factor which doesn’t augur well for the national team, with football being primarily a team game.

AIFF general secretary Kushal Das stated in a recent Indian football forum that local leagues have been the major driving forces in states like West Bengal and Goa. “These states have strong local leagues and that has helped in building strong teams. Even the north-east region is now trying to develop the standard at the local level. However, big states like Delhi and Chennai have failed on this account. The lack of local community leagues doesn’t allow players from these places make it to big clubs in other states,” he said. For the overall development of football, the game must spread into all corners of the country.

Team fiasco

The forthcoming edition of I-League comprises only 13 teams. The number of teams is way too low compared to most countries running their own leagues. The AIFF initiated youth side Pailan Arrows ceased to exist after the West Bengal ‘chit-fund scam’ took centre-stage, which also led to Prayag United losing its major sponsor.

Another team, Mumbai Tigers, which was supposed to join I-League from this season, pulled out at the last moment citing lack of preparation and facilities. The players of these clubs are the most badly hit as they must find a new club or just train with AIFF without a team to play for.

There are talks about English club Queens Park Rangers entering the I-League in 2014-15 season. Certain home players, too, are targeting clubs abroad and undergoing trials in foreign countries, gaining vital exposure in the process.

Also, young clubs like Pune FC have started to give more focus to youth development, having teams of various age-groups. Indian football will surely be served better if more academies come up like the Chandigarh Football Academy, a fully residential establishment which inducts students at the age of seven and takes care of their education and other needs.

The academy, which has former Indian captains Harjinder Singh and Tejinder Singh as its chief coaches, sends 12 players along with a coach for 15 days to Egidius Braun Sportschule, a club based in Leipzig, Germany for advanced/specialised training twice a year.

Such ventures provide the necessary exposure required by young footballers.

What the future holds

AIFF is hoping to increase the number of I-League teams to 20 within the next five years. It has formulated a programme called ‘Lakshya’ through which it is aiming to develop the game at the grass-root level.

India has also bid to host the 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup. Though it faces severe competition from other bidders, AIFF hopes hopes to clinch the deal provided the Commonwealth Games fiasco doesn’t become a blockade.

Also, AIFF is giving more importance to developing women’s football and is planning exposure trips for them, a move which surely augurs well for the overall development of football in India.