It’s a trend that is becoming alarmingly common in Indian sports. Every time we host a major global or continental sporting event, it gets overshadowed by teething organisational problems which take the sheen off the main spectacle which is supposed to highlight the growing stature of India as a leading economy in the world. There are a few examples of such events, which although projected the feel-good vibe of India to the world also shamed us for the infrastructure-related delays and substandard facilities dished out to international athletes. None so prime an example than the Commonwealth Games held in Delhi in 2010 and closer home, the Lusofonia Games that Goa hosted in 2014.
Now, India is gearing up to host the next big showpiece sporting event, the Under-17 football World Cup which is scheduled to be held in October this year. The country’s pride is at stake again and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally monitoring the progress in the event’s build-up so that the tournament kicks off without a hitch. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of India’s first-ever FIFA tournament on Monday launched a volunteer programme that will provide an opportunity for thousands of Indian and international volunteers to be part of the event, which will take place across six venues including Goa.
However, this time the problem is not about incomplete stadiums or shabby facilities. The biggest worry for an anxious All India Football Federation (AIFF) is whether the country will be able to field a competitive team at the youth World Cup. There is a new coach in charge who has barely seven months to prepare the team for the most prestigious global youth football tournament. Portuguese Luis Norton de Matos has taken over the hot seat from German Nicolai Adam, who was unceremoniously booted out after a player revolt. De Matos is already down to business and has started training his charges in Goa -- the base of the team.
But his appointment has already created resentment in a few quarters of the Indian football fraternity, with reports suggesting that the AIFF arbitrarily chose the coach without getting everybody involved in the selection process on board. The controversy notwithstanding, the Portuguese is the boss now. And he has only seven months to make an impact and prepare the youngsters for the biggest tournament of their lives. The problem is that seven months is too little to prepare a football team, let alone a bunch of 16-year-olds. No doubt, it’s a tightrope for De Matos and the Indian football bosses pray that he delivers.
