Legendary Goan goalkeeper and former captain Indian football team, Brahmanand Shankhwalkar feels that India is not a sleeping giant. According to Brahmanand, India has immense potential to qualify for the Football World Cup sometime in the near future. But, for that to happen there needs to be drastic changes done in our domestic football structure and our football officials needs to implement these changes practically.
“Playing only within India won’t help however talented the kid may be. The child needs to
go out of the country and have exposure with top-football playing nation. Currently our country is not even among the best football playing nations even in Asia. Our domestic structure needs to be improved. Tournaments like I-League should be made more competitive. Also, more Indian players should get opportunity to play in the ISL,” feels the Arjuna Awardee.
“Earlier, the state football league used to close within six months. For the next six months there is hardly any football tournament taking place. It is just village level matches. During these six months which are idle, we lose out on many talented kids. More football tournaments must be held during this time so that the players remain busy throughout the year,” feels the Padmashree awardee.
“But, now with the revival of Bandodkar Trophy, it has given some hope for Goa. Other states should also revive their discontinued tournaments by getting more sponsors. I-League and ISL level players must participate in these tournaments,” he said.
According to Brahmanand, during his playing days in 70’s and 80’s, there used to be many football tournaments held in places like Kolkata, Kerala during the entire year and top teams like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Dempos, Salgaocars, JCT used to participate in these tournaments. Also, national players used to participate. So, there was a lot of exposure for the players. These tournaments have now reduced drastically. Today, there are not even 20 top-level football tournaments happening in the country.
“It high time we revive the prestigious football tournaments like Rovers Cup, Nehru Cup, IFA Shield” he said.
“Every coach who steps in to take responsibility of our national team should take opinion from former players, not just from the selected players for the national side. Overall picture of entire nation is very much required,” feels the legendary goalkeeper.
According to Brahmanand, the standard of Asian teams like Japan, South Korea, Iran and African teams like Senegal, Nigeria have increased because they move out to other countries for exposure which helps in the overall development of their side. Even the kids of those countries move out to other places for months together so that they get world-wide exposure at an early age. Their training program is devised in such a manner that the kids get exposed to world-level football at a young age and they become competitive in nature.
Grass-root level development program is the key to success if one needs to become a top-football playing nation.
Shankhwalkar feels more and more teams from other countries at U-12, U-15 and U- 17 level need to be invited in our country for constant exposure to our youth. When our youth in thousands can see these matches, they will learn, it will also create more interest among them.
“Child development is very much important. One may design the program scientifically; health, strength and speed wise, the thoughts in the child mind should not be diverted at a very young age. Only a coach can understand a child’s mind, his likes and dislikes, accordingly he must polish a child’s talent. Good coaching at a young age is very important and every football club in the country must have their own grass root development program,” said the Arjuna awardee from Goa.
