The world is gripped in a football frenzy at Qatar’s FIFA World Cup. Football mania has caught up in India too — from rural heartlands to mofussil towns and urban centres. The euphoria manifested in fans erecting massive cut-outs of their idols.
Supporting international teams with stellar performances in true cosmopolitan spirit is laudable. However, factoring in the deterioration of football in the country, Indians are probably condemned to supporting only foreign nations. They may never be fortunate to witness an Indian team qualifying for the World Cup finals. It is unfortunate that the country, with 1.25 billion people, has failed miserably in scouting, training and assembling 11 players of international stature to play for the coveted FIFA games.
The decline of Indian football over the last 60 years warrants soul-searching into its likely causes and malefactors. Currently, India ranks 106th in the world by FIFA. Ironically, football, the most popular sport of pre-Independence India, has sunk to abysmal depths of mismanagement and unprofessionalism.
The Durand Cup –– the third oldest football tournament in the world –– started in 1888 in Shimla. The three legacy football clubs- Mohammedan Sporting, East Bengal and Mohan Began hailing from Calcutta are more than 100 years old. India was once touted as the Asian giant of football, spurning a golden age between 1950-’62. India had even qualified for a FIFA World Cup hosted by Brazil in 1950. However, it didn’t participate in the tournament for unknown reasons.
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