The Jaswinder Bains Column

Jaswinder Bains is a NRIOL featured sports columnist. To read about Jaswinder Bains, pleaseKnow more.

Our cricket's a mess. Now, how about football?!

Ashwini Kumar, the legendary coach of the great Indian hockey team of the 1970s, in a famous after dinner speech once summarily dismissed the whole notion of Indian sport when he described sport as a bit of Khel Khud (bit of fun) to Indians.

I was drawn once again to Kumar's comments in what is becoming a ceaselessly never ending run of sporting failures by people wearing Indian sporting colours. Whatever the selection problems, and however inept the administrators are, it does not excuse the pathetic whimperings of a gutless band of motley cricketers. To be spun out of a series at home by a mediocre South African spin bowler was nothing short of scandalous. I grew up on the heroics of Kapil Dev flinging the bat for the Indian cause and am therefore particularly saddened by his association to the team.

It's at times like this you seek solace in other sporting spheres looking for salvation. In my case my beloved football. However, I am not sure I like what I see. Like cricket, our colonial friends introduced football (I hate the word 'soccer') in the 19th century and the first recorded competitive match goes back to 1854. Sadly our list of achievements can be written on the back of a box of matches.

In 1956 we achieved a very creditable 4th place in the Melbourne... Olympic Games, and were twice winners of the Asian Games and that is about our sum total. World Cup qualification was once handed to us on a plate in 1950 when a number of major football nations decided that Uruguay was too far to travel to. As a newly registered FIFA country (1948) we were invited but declined on the basis that we didn't want to wear football boots, preferring instead to play in bandaged feet. Yet another story to add to the sickly 'romantic' and 'endearing' images of Indian sportspeople that is often perpetuated across the sporting globe. Why can't we just have obnoxious, aggressive winners for a change.

In 1995, FIFA sent in a team of advisors to develop a blueprint for Indian football. They recommended a number of changes, not all of which has been acted upon. Mainly, a national domestic league championship was recommended along with a thorough rationalisation of the mish-mash of seemingly meaningless cup competitions.

The following year a national championship was launched, attracting great interest from television and 'Corporate India'. The football public of India responded with great enthusiasm. Now in its fourth season, the television interest has largely diminished, and with it the potential corporate sponsorship money, a key ingredient in the success of any domestic football competition. Major companies remain involved through the ownership of national league clubs, although for how long is not certain.

They share the common perception of Indian football: poorly run and administered and unable to respond to gilt-edged opportunities that would accelerate the development of Indian football. That view is concurred with by the Asian Football Confederation who recently ordered a 'get it sorted, or else' type of ultimatum to the AIFF.

The threat of suspension would seem to loom large over the AIFF President, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, seen by many to be the principal architect behind the disorganised shambles of Indian football. I am not one to condemn an already seemingly condemned man, but everyone can't be wrong, or can they?

Mr Munshi points out that the television deal was held up by problems of litigation and we all know how the Indian courts system works. The logistics of organising a "home and away" basis league structure is not without its problems, given the sheer size of the country. The commercial properties of the AIFF have not been exploited because of another contract dispute with sports management companies. He has a point, in facta number. However, these arguments hold no sway among the football masses.

Instead, they point to the inordinate delay in making the appointment of the national team coach. FIFA recommended a foreign coach. That was more than 18 months ago and since then, the national team has limped along without a suitably qualified coach. Whichever way you look at this situation, the AIFF's position is indefensible. With ?1million set aside by FIFA for technical development purposes there can be no excuse for such prevarication.

Further, national squad players are invited to participate in often unscheduled training camps, to the annoyance of their clubs. Worse, the coaching is poor, and to rub salt into their wounds, the players can spend days on a train, arriving at the camps in poor physical and mental shape.

Where does Indian football go from here? Ambitions to qualify for a World Cup need to be put into perspective. Drawn in qualifying groups containing Middle East countries, the recipients of years of petrodollar money, India will struggle to win pre-qualifying groups let alone go forward to the stage from which winners proceed to the finals. Similarly, Olympic qualification remains a distant dream.

A long-term strategy needs to be put into place that focuses on establishing India as a football power in Asia, from which a launch pad could be made. The challenge ahead requires a fundamental restructuring of the domestic game, and for it to be run by professionals. The appointment of top quality foreign coaches at national team and club level will introduce new ideas. Training facilities need to be overhauled. In the short term, if that is beyond the AIFF limitations, those facilities need to be found outside India.

The country's growing commercial tie- ups with European countries could include an in-kind football contribution as part of the contract. I don't know for a fact but I can confidently predict that Britain, Germany, France and Italy would be willing to participate. The lead for this initiative needs the support and drive of the Indian government.

The NRI community has a significant role to play. Funding needs to be raised to support the development of the country's youngest talent. At under-16 level India is the match of all fellow Asian countries. However, we need to send them abroad where they can benefit from the expert tutelage of foreign coaches. I have already spoken to Mr Munshi about this suggestion and he is supportive, and agrees that such a fund needs to be managed by the fundholders. We are also a lobby group, not without influence.

If we can't produce the talent from within India then let's look to the example set by countries like England, America and Canada where there are a number of aspiring professional footballers. If countries like Jamaica and now seemingly most countries are prepared to relax qualifying regulations for players then why aren't we? It may take another 20 years before World Cup qualification is achieved if we put a suitable plan into action. But if we don't, we may never know what it's like to take part in the greatest show on earth.  Read more 

- Jaswinder Bains in England, UK
March 8, 2000

The views of this column are the author's own, and do not necessarily represent the views of NRI Online.

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