Kolkata: What is common between Sunil Chhetri and Virat Kohli? Well, both are captains of two of the country’s most popular sports- football and cricket respectively. But how many endorsement deals does Chhetri have vis-à-vis Kohli? Well, even a novice would laugh at this question. “Are you kidding me?” could be the reaction. Well, both may be India captains, but Kohli is a national icon, but Chhetri still isn’t. Make no mistake, despite his enormous contributions to Indian soccer, Chhetri comes nowhere near Kohli who is in a different league. Isn’t it disappointing that somebody who has played close to 100 international matches for his country hasn’t got his due? Will India’s jump to an all-time high of 101 in the FIFA rankings post April 6, as speculated, earn Chhetri and his compatriots the accolades they deserve? Mind you Chhetri is also the fourth highest goal-scorer among players who are still in the thick of action for their countries.
Isn’t it time to hail the efforts of our footballers? Isn’t it time to shower them with praises for having taken Indian football this far? India is currently ranked 132nd in the FIFA rankings. Come April 6, India may share the 101st place with Estonia, Lithuania and Nicaragua. Chhetri and his boys are in no mood to give up and have been slowly and steadily climbing up the ladder. Kudos to them! Recent victories over Cambodia and Myanmar will push India up the rankings. Make no mistake, India has won 11 of its last 13 international encounters.
And buoyed by India’s impressive show, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is taking steps to usher in a new era in Indian soccer. The announcement of the four-nation Champions Club that will be held annually starting this year, is a move in the right direction. According to IANS, apart from India, one country each from Asia, Africa and North America will be participating in the tournament. The whole idea is to give Indian footballers more international exposure. The news agency quotes Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF saying, “The introduction of the Champions Cup is a result of conscious efforts at our end to ensure the National Team receives enough Training Camps, International Friendlies as well as competitive games. We are in talks with various Football Associations from AFC, CAF and CONCACAF. We envision to consistently climb through the FIFA Ranking charts by playing matches against good opponents.”
Yes, the face of Indian soccer is changing and the hard work put in is showing. Let’s not ignore the contributions of the Indian Super League (ISL) which despite being a money spinner has done wonders to Indian soccer. It has been a boon for football in the country on the lines of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for cricket. When you share the dressing room with international legends and see them in action from such a close proximity, you are bound to learn. Rewind to 2008 when an unknown Ravindra Jadeja was inducted into the Rajasthan Royals side in the inaugural edition of the IPL. Captained by Shane Warne, Jadeja was a modest fellow with big aspirations and he needed a platform like the IPL and the company of a legend to hone his skills and make it big as a cricketer. There are plenty of more examples.
The ISL has no doubt gone places in changing the face of Indian soccer. What a Zico can do to rectify your mistakes cannot be replicated by a native coach because the Brazilian great has experience. The improvement of the Indian footballers is reflected in its recent performances which are all set to elevate it to higher rankings. Indian coach Stephen Constantine in fact, holds the ISL in high esteem when it comes to giving exposure to Indian footballers. “The positive impact has been the sharing of experience from the foreign recruits, or may I call it the knowledge transfer. So many foreign recruits who have played at much higher levels are coming to India to play in the ISL. They are here to share their experience and do it in a positive manner,” he was quoted by a website. Kudos to Praful Patel, the AIFF President, for showing the vision to explore. When the ISL was conceived four years ago, sceptics raised their eyebrows and weren’t willing to put their money on the tournament that was taken as a poorer version of the IPL. But, the ISL has proved critics wrong.
Another factor that has led to this jump is the end of the age-old monopoly of traditional clubs like East Bengal and Mohun Bagan which are repulsive to changes. They follow the same old pattern and refuse to change with time. The officials more or less remain saddled in their posts for ages and show obstinacy when it comes to adopting newer methods. The emergence of ISL teams like Atletico de Kolkata, Chennayin FC, Delhi Dyanamos, Kerala Blusters and others owned by top celebrities has dented the popularity of the traditional clubs that follow an archaic process. Well, it’s time for our age-old club systems to change and that could be a reality once the clubs start participating in the ISL.
The craze over soccer is returning. If you visit an upper middle-class colony in Kolkata or even Delhi, you wouldn’t be missing the sight of young lads battling it out in a game of soccer. This is a trend which had made its way out some years ago. An average middle-class guy may swear by Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, yet he wouldn’t forget to name a top class Indian footballer.
So, here is a big opportunity for the AIFF to step in and cash in on the comeback of Indian soccer which had lost its charm. There is no shortage of talent and hype but they need to be identified. Football should not be treated as merely a time pass. There should be adequate opportunities that could convince parents to let their kids take to the game as a profession.
Indian footballers need to become household names like Sakshi Malik, PV Sindhu and others. If we can go ga-ga over Sakshi and Sindhu, then why can’t we respect our footballers? This is the ideal time and it provides a scope to the authorities to spread the game that was almost lost in oblivion. But the media has a big role to play too. How much has been written about the heroics of our footballers? A cricketer, even if he is injured makes news thanks to his social media handles, and we journos latch on to it for bylines. Virat Kohli’s Valentine’s Day message creates a sensation on social media and is subsequently mentioned by newspapers, but India’s recent impressive show in soccer doesn’t get the acknowledgement it deserves.
Congratulations to Chhetri and his team, but the journey has just begun. There’s still a long way to go and deep down we all know it. But let’s join hands to promote soccer in the true sense of the term. Let’s not opine and criticise. We all have a responsibility towards encouraging budding soccer players who could bring laurels to the country.