The 2010-11 I-league preparations have not been encouraging. Financially, the AIFF has been pushed into quite a tight corner with the contractual issues with Zee as well as supporting ambitious projects like the AIFF XI. With news filtering in that the I-league will probably be broadcast on a regional Bengali channel, chances of a number of Indian Football enthusiasts getting to watch their favorite clubs on television seem rather bleak.
And yet, one club is doing things the right way. Pune FC, among the youngest of the I-league clubs (aside from the AIFF XI), played their first season in the first division last year and finished a very strong third place in the standings. The first team has an excellent mix of players with Indian nationals team players like Subrata Pal, Shanmugam Venkatesh and Krishnan Ajayan in their ranks as well as international signings Edmar(Brazil) and Arata Izumi(Japan). They also have one of the most exciting youth ranks which promises many a talent to the Indian national team in future. But hang on? What sets this three year old club from all of our other clubs?
Pune FC is a professionally run club. I cannot stress enough on the importance of the word professional (a bold facing doesn’t do it justice). Its not a term one invents – it is actually a criterion for a club to satisfy when playing in global level competitions. Recently, the AFC conducted an inspection on all the I-league clubs and found a number of them lacking in their ground facilities and professional organization. The two Bengal giants and Pune FC were the only ones which convinced the officials.
Recently, Pune FC launched their very own video channel – PFC TV – inspired by the top clubs in Europe which use the power of the internet as means of connecting to the fans. This is an incredible venture for a club so young and one would hope it succeeds in attracting the fan base it deserves.
As it stands, Pune FC haven’t been doing as well this season (4 draws and a loss in the first 5 games) but there is plenty of time to recover. The league is long as with one of the youngest squads in the I-league, one would expect them to bring out consistent performances all through the season. With a host of first team players unavailable due to their national team representation in the Asia Cup in 2011, expect a much renewed Pune FC by the end of January, rearing to take on the best clubs in the country.
And if you’re someone who lives in Pune, it’s time to support what will soon be one of the strongest football clubs in the country
