AGENCIES
NEW DELHI
The Indian Super League (ISL) second edition concluded with Chennaiyin FC lifting the title, after narrowly missing out last year. From the finest foreign players to celebrities, the league highlighted football’s aesthetic and commercial growth within the Indian peninsula.
However, the success is yet to transition to the national team’s performances, who are enduring a dismal World Cup qualifying campaign. They are currently ranked 166th among 210 FIFA nations.
An official within FIFA’s hierarchy has given some insight into the administrative side of Indian football.
A senior FIFA official said, “We have identified a tremendous growth pattern of following in India. However, it has failed to reach the grass-root level. We definitely see India as a potential powerhouse in the sport. We haven’t received enough support from football’s governing body there. We have set up a national centre in Delhi with two working officials, but the governing body is not reactive. For football to grow they have to come up with a plan, so that we can channelise funds and they can execute.”
The official who spoke to Sportskeeda went on to state why countries with lesser facilities have fared better than India at the international level. He said, “If you look at African countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, the goal programme has successfully worked, because they had helped us build an ecosystem. We funded everything, but the implementation was done by the association. In India’s case, things are not as fast-paced. If implementation is executed in a timely manner, the country will grow leaps and bounds within the sport.”
