We were not always this poor in the “Beautiful Game”. From 1950 to 1964, which is still considered as the “Golden Age of Indian Football”, we performed really well. We qualified in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, but could not compete due to a lack of funds (Also, there was a fear that the players, who were playing barefoot, would be no match and would get defeated heavily). We came 4th in the 1956 Olympic Games, becoming the first Asian team to reach the semi-finals! We won the gold medal in the Asian games in 1951 and 1962. We also finished as runners-up in the 1964 AFC Asian Cup. But after that, we have not won any major tournament or shown good performance either.
We have only won the SAFF cup, in which we face 140+ ranked teams of southern Asia, and which is not a highly reputed tournament. We have not qualified for the World Cup or shown good results in the Asian Cup. Not only at the national level, but also in the domestic league, we don‘t match up to the level we need to be at. Our domestic clubs are better than other South Asian clubs. But when we face Korean or Arab clubs, we hardly match their level of football. And none of the Indian players have played in a big European or South American club. Here, my reference to Europe & South America is only because of the quality of the game they play and support they get from their respective fans. Only Sunil Chhetri, who is very talented, could get into a Major Soccer League team and even there he could play in only a couple of games.
When it comes to support (which is a very important factor in any team’s performance), we hardly show any interest in the national team. And many football fans in our country don‘t even know our national team squad or care about our national team’s result whereas they may be very good fans of European or South American nations and clubs. We have many football fans and players in West Bengal, East Indian states, Kerala, Goa, Chandigarh and Punjab, but it doesn‘t seem enough for a huge country like ours. Some players are really talented and skilful, but they can’t improve as we don’t have enough facilities for football training and we don‘t have enough good football academies. Sometimes, even though players are good, they don’t turn themselves into the professional football players as either their parents or themselves don‘t think that they can make a bright career in football. As lots of money is spent mostly on cricket, football doesn’t get enough financial support and the infrastructure needed. Some clubs do have good facilities and infrastructure, but it is not of the International level. Clubs and even the Sports Ministry should also think about making Football academies all over in India to improve the Indian Football and make it popular.
For every football fan, it is their dream to see their national side playing in the World Cup and the Olympics and winning it. But in our case, in the near future, even qualifying seems a very great result. After Liverpool FC decided, in August 2011, to build two football academies in Delhi and Noida and the Blackburn Rovers FC (owned by Indians) collaboration with Pune FC, we hope that more English clubs or European and even South American club will see a bright football future in India and build their football academies. Also, Indian clubs should try to improve their coaching facilities and infrastructure which will bring more interest in football in the youth of India. And we hope that we will have more players like legendary Neville D‘Souza, Baichung Bhutiya, Subrata Pal and youngsters like Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua. And we hope, one day, we qualify for the Asian Cup, World Cup and Olympics and win all of them!
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