Will the stupendous success of the FIFA U-17 World Cup usher in a new dawn for Indian football? Only a pessimist will not believe so
Will the stupendous success of the FIFA U-17 World Cup usher in a new dawn for Indian football? Only a pessimist will not believe so.
This was the first FIFA event hosted by India and the organisational success in the maiden venture does provide a big tick mark when it comes to infrastructure. India now has at least six more stadiums that can boast of having practice grounds of international standards. Coaches from all the participating countries were appreciative of the infrastructure. Awareness for the game is another factor. Cities like Mumbai and Delhi, where the popularity of football was on the wane, showed exactly what such a tournament can do to generate interest among people.
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Now to the actual playing aspect. The quality of football at the World Cup underlined the importance of club football. Both the finalists -England and Spain - had kids emerging from the academies of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool FC, where young footballers live in a competitive environment, follow a particular way of playing the game and excelling. Technically, tactically, physically and mentally, they are on the verge of making it to their senior club teams. Our clubs should take note.
The proposed Centre of Excellence, the home for every Indian national football team, will be set up shortly. The most important thing is to know how to play while following a certain pattern. Rolling out the resources and defining the paths will be at the heart of the success story.
The success of England's U-17 and U-20 teams advocates the need for systematic planning and execution. The seeds of this dream were sowed in 2014 and have borne fruit this year. England is a football-crazy nation. It may take double the time in India, but who is to say it is not achievable?
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