How big is Football in india?

[Abhijeet Dey]

Iran 4 India 0 (Full Time) 2018 World Cup Qualifier (Venue: Azadi Stadium, Tehran)

http://www.goal.com/en-india/match/iran-vs-india/2028666?ICID=HP_FM_1

F**k this. For how long India will be humiliated by Asian heavyweights? This is a total outrage. Is Indian football heading in the direction of Air India (Praful Patel is the president of All India Football Federation)?

India with a billion strong population are unable to produce a world class soccer team. Is AIFF getting taxpayers money from the the Sports Ministry? Will they be held accountable???

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

World Cup Qualification Asia - Carlos Queiroz: We used many young players in our starting line up

http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/2...ualification-asia-carlos-queiroz-we-used-many

The former Manchester United assistant coach believes Constantine's young team surprised his Iranian Lions, opines Cruyff's loss is huge to the footballing world....

It was, in the end, an affair Iran's national team coach Carlos Queiroz could look upon as a job well done by his team, who beat India by a 4-0 scoreline, in an important World Cup 2018 round two qualification group 'D' tie, at the Azadi stadium in Tehran, on Thursday 24th March.

The Indian team held resistance for the opening 33 minutes, but Haji Safi converted from the penalty spot to hand Iran an advantage heading into the interval. Thereafter the Sher-e-Iran, stepped up a few gears and had Azmoun score in the 61st minute from a corner, before Safi converted another penalty in the 66th minute, to triple their lead.

The Iranians put the final nail in the coffin for their visitors as Alireza scored in the 78th minute, to all but guarantee a top two finish for Asia's number one team from the group.

Speaking after the game, the former Manchester United assistant coach praised the Indian team for their application, whilst mourning the death of a football hero in Johan Cruyff.

"I have to appreciate the performance of India team. They had an obvious progress in comparison with first leg. They surprised us," revealed Queiroz, when quizzed about the Indian team's performance on the night.

Asked to impress upon the media attendees the nature of his Iranian team's win, the 63 year-old Portuguese national commented, "I think we saw a beautiful match, especially under consideration that we used many young players in our starting line up. All of our players performed with motivation and commitment. They played with high pace."

"We are close to our target. my players showed a beautiful display and we could score more goals," he further added.

After a protracted battle with cancer, former Dutch hero and Barcelona icon Johan Cruyff became all but a memory as he passed away on the evening of 24th March, 2016.

On the vacuum the 68 year-old's death brought to the football galaxy, Queiroz expressed, "it's a sad day for football. He was an experienced manager with very good knowledge about football. The world of football is disappointed for lose him. He was part of football history."

 

[sasum]

World Cup Qualification Asia - Carlos Queiroz: We used many young players in our starting line up

http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/2...ualification-asia-carlos-queiroz-we-used-many

The former Manchester United assistant coach believes Constantine's young team surprised his Iranian Lions, opines Cruyff's loss is huge to the footballing world....

It was, in the end, an affair Iran's national team coach Carlos Queiroz could look upon as a job well done by his team, who beat India by a 4-0 scoreline, in an important World Cup 2018 round two qualification group 'D' tie, at the Azadi stadium in Tehran, on Thursday 24th March.

The Indian team held resistance for the opening 33 minutes, but Haji Safi converted from the penalty spot to hand Iran an advantage heading into the interval. Thereafter the Sher-e-Iran, stepped up a few gears and had Azmoun score in the 61st minute from a corner, before Safi converted another penalty in the 66th minute, to triple their lead.

The Iranians put the final nail in the coffin for their visitors as Alireza scored in the 78th minute, to all but guarantee a top two finish for Asia's number one team from the group.

Speaking after the game, the former Manchester United assistant coach praised the Indian team for their application, whilst mourning the death of a football hero in Johan Cruyff.

"I have to appreciate the performance of India team. They had an obvious progress in comparison with first leg. They surprised us," revealed Queiroz, when quizzed about the Indian team's performance on the night.

Asked to impress upon the media attendees the nature of his Iranian team's win, the 63 year-old Portuguese national commented, "I think we saw a beautiful match, especially under consideration that we used many young players in our starting line up. All of our players performed with motivation and commitment. They played with high pace."

"We are close to our target. my players showed a beautiful display and we could score more goals," he further added.

After a protracted battle with cancer, former Dutch hero and Barcelona icon Johan Cruyff became all but a memory as he passed away on the evening of 24th March, 2016.

On the vacuum the 68 year-old's death brought to the football galaxy, Queiroz expressed, "it's a sad day for football. He was an experienced manager with very good knowledge about football. The world of football is disappointed for lose him. He was part of football history."

I really don't believe in the foreign coachs' kind words. They do it for the hefty fees they receive AIFF. You should agree indian players can't retain possession in the face of heavy tackling. Passing, most often is wide off the mark. They fumble while trapping ball, wasting precious seconds in putting it into the net.
Speed and stamina are other areas of concern. Even young players lose spark after about 30-40 minutes.

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

I really don't believe in the foreign coachs' kind words. They do it for the hefty fees they receive AIFF. You should agree indian players can't retain possession in the face of heavy tackling. Passing, most often is wide off the mark. They fumble while trapping ball, wasting precious seconds in putting it into the net.
Speed and stamina are other areas of concern. Even young players lose spark after about 30-40 minutes.

I agree but what is Aiff doing on this issue? Even poor countries such as Ghana or Cape Verde Islands are better than Iran in terms of passing and heavy tackling. Even these countries give proper diet and technical training to their young players so that they get a chance in top clubs in Europe. If Indians can beat England and Australia in cricket then why not football?

 

[sasum]

If Indians can beat England and Australia in cricket then why not football?

:biggrin2: Oh come on! Football is not a sissy sport like cricket. Soccer is a full contact sport like rugby.
I feel indians are not genetically inclined to sports. A nation of 1.3 billion can not win 10 golds in Olympics. Italy, with only 20 million wins 20 golds !!

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

:biggrin2: Oh come on! Football is not a sissy sport like cricket. Soccer is a full contact sport like rugby.
I feel indians are not genetically inclined to sports. A nation of 1.3 billion can not win 10 golds in Olympics. Italy, with only 20 million wins 20 golds !!

PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI: 'IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TAKE FOOTBALL TO EVERY INDIAN VILLAGE'

http://m.goal.com/s/en-india/news/1...er-narendra-modi-it-is-very-important-to-take

Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi urged the nation to help promote football in India although he did admit that their current ranking of 160 is lowly.

"India had a good run in football earlier but that is not the case now. Our rankings are also very low," he noted before going on to stress how the 2017 U-17 World Cup has to be seen as a major landmark in popularizing the game.

"India is going to host under-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017. It is an opportunity for us to instil our youth with passion of football. I believe that FIFA Under-17 World Cup is a big chance for us to present brand of India on global level," he further added in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio programme.

The former Gujarat Chief Minister also opined that the game has to be taken to every village of the nation, given the increasing popularity of European football leagues.

"I see that our youth is enjoying football like EPL (English Premier League). Its important to take football to every village and FIFA U-17 is a great opportunity. I would like every youth of the country to become ambassador of 2017 FIFA Under- 17 World Cup," he remarked.

 

[sasum]

Football is already very popular and played in villages across India except perhaps a few N.Indian States. But boys give up on football too soon realizing how tough the game is and risk of serious injuries involved.
@Abhijeet Dey

 

[jackprince]

PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI: 'IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TAKE FOOTBALL TO EVERY INDIAN VILLAGE'

http://m.goal.com/s/en-india/news/1...er-narendra-modi-it-is-very-important-to-take

Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi urged the nation to help promote football in India although he did admit that their current ranking of 160 is lowly.

"India had a good run in football earlier but that is not the case now. Our rankings are also very low," he noted before going on to stress how the 2017 U-17 World Cup has to be seen as a major landmark in popularizing the game.

"India is going to host under-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017. It is an opportunity for us to instil our youth with passion of football. I believe that FIFA Under-17 World Cup is a big chance for us to present brand of India on global level," he further added in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio programme.

The former Gujarat Chief Minister also opined that the game has to be taken to every village of the nation, given the increasing popularity of European football leagues.

"I see that our youth is enjoying football like EPL (English Premier League). Its important to take football to every village and FIFA U-17 is a great opportunity. I would like every youth of the country to become ambassador of 2017 FIFA Under- 17 World Cup," he remarked.

Baap re. Arre, even the people from Bihar, just beside WB, doesn't know what the eff is Football! I remember bunch of us Bengalis and a Delhite watching Euro cup last time late at night and getting late for office. The Biharis and gujjus were all like 'what were you watching?!!'

Now, how can you take a game to villages when none knows about it and doesn't have any baisc idea?

 

[HeinzGud]

Is there any obvious reason for the sloppy performance of the South Asian football in the world stage? I was always wondered about it.

Brazilians are similar to the body shape of the South Asians but they play competitive football with their European counter parts. But South Asians can't do the same.

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

Former Aston Villa and West Brom player on Indian football, being treated like royalty and travelling 2000 miles to an away game

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-aston-villa-west-brom-11101470

Former Aston Villa and West Brom defender Nicky Shorey has spoken of the culture shock he received after his recent spell playing out in India.

The left-back, who has two England caps to his name, was signed by Martin O’Neill from Reading in 2008, before Albion snapped him up in 2010.

He was released from The Hawthorns upon the expiry of his contract in 2012, and bounced around the lower leagues of England, having spells at Bristol City, Millwall and Portsmouth.

Now at Colchester, Shorey admitted it was a ‘bolt from the blue’ when he made the move from Pompey to FC Pune, managed by former England international David Platt, for a season that lasts only from October to December.

In doing so, he provided an insight into how difficult it can be to get a move tied up in the lower reaches of English football.

“It was a long summer after I left Pompey,” Shorey told Mike Walters of the Daily Mirror.

“You put out feelers, you speak to old contacts and you back your ability to find another club, but the phone doesn’t ring as often as you would like.

“As I’ve found out, when you drop down the leagues, and clubs are shuffling the pack to make ends meet on tight budgets, even a free transfer with England caps is not guaranteed a new contract.

Fortunately my dad, Steve, is chief scout at Reading and he threw my name into the hat when David Platt was ringing around, searching for experienced players available for his Indian Super League team.

“I had never even played abroad before, apart from a UEFA Cup tie with Aston Villa, so it was a bolt from the blue, not to mention a culture shock and way out of my comfort zone.”

Shorey reckons people would be surprised as to the quality of the facilities out in India, the second largest nation on the planet based on population, and that they have the potential to develop into a major country on the international stage.

“Everything, from the training facility to general fitness, hotels and travel, was top-quality, and foreign players were treated like royalty,” he said.

“The Indian lads went out of their way to make us feel welcome and they were always keen to learn about English football.

“Every weekend there are five or six Premier League games live on TV over there, and they can’t get enough of it.

“It’s only a matter of time before a country of 1.3 billion people puts together a team that will compete at a high level on the international stage – they just need to identify the best talent and bring it through at an earlier age.”

Playing alongside players such as former Blues defender Roger Johnson while in Asia, Shorey concedes football has to compete with cricket, the sport that dominates the country but, like the US, has the possibility to develop over time.

They do need a better quality of footballer, however.

“At the moment, all the kids play cricket and the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament is the biggest show in town, but if they can catch them younger, and the standard grows, the Indian Super League has potential to be absolutely massive.

“Our home ground at Pune only held 11,000 but I played in every game and it was always full, and the biggest crowd was around 45,000 in Kolkata.

“It’s easy to forget how big India is until you find out that it’s almost 2,000 miles to some away games.”

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

India vs Turkmenistan schedule World cup qualifier

http://m.ibtimes.co.in/india-vs-tur...-tv-listings-venue-world-cup-qualifier-672416

Date - March 29, 2016.

Time - 6 p.m. IST

Venue - Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi.

TV listings - Sony Six, Sony Six HD (India)

Turkmenistan FIFA ranking: 113
Turkmenistan AFC ranking: 15

India FIFA ranking: 160
India AFC ranking: 31

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

Prime minister Narendra Modi mentioning FIFA U17 World Cup to be held next year in India in his 'Mann ki Baat' speech

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

Full quotes from Narendra Modi speech in today man ki baat .

Full Speech below .

मेरे युवा दोस्तो, आप सब एक तरफ़ Exam में busy होंगे | कुछ लोगों की exam पूरी हो गयी होगी | और कुछ लोगों के लिए इसलिए भी कसौटी होगी कि एक तरफ़ exam और दूसरी तरफ़ T-20 Cricket World Cup | आज भी शायद आप भारत और Australia के match का इंतज़ार करते होंगे | पिछले दिनों भारत ने पाकिस्तान और बांग्लादेश के खिलाफ़ दो बेहतरीन match जीते हैं | एक बढ़िया सा momentum नज़र आ रहा है | आज जब Australia और भारत खेलने वाले हैं, मैं दोनों टीमों के players को अपनी शुभकामनायें देता हूँ | 65 प्रतिशत जनसंख्या नौजवान हो और खेलों की दुनिया में हम खो गए हों, ये तो बात कुछ बनती नहीं है | समय है, खेलों में एक नई क्रांति के दौर का | और हम देख रहे हैं कि भारत में Cricket की तरह अब Football, Hockey, Tennis, Kabaddi - एक mood बनता जा रहा है | मैं आज नौजवानों को एक और खुशखबरी के साथ कुछ अपेक्षायें भी बताना चाहता हूँ | आपको शायद इस बात का तो पता चल गया होगा कि अगले वर्ष 2017 में भारत FIFA Under - 17 विश्व कप की मेज़बानी करने जा रहा है | विश्व की 24 टीमें भारत में खेलने के लिए आ रही हैं | 1951, 1962 Asian Games में भारत ने Gold Medal जीता था और 1956 Olympic Games में भारत चौथे स्थान पर रहा था | लेकिन दुर्भाग्य से पिछले कुछ दशकों में हम निचली पायरी पर ही चलते गए, पीछे ही हटते गए, गिरते ही गए, गिरते ही गए | आज तो FIFA में हमारा ranking इतना नीचे है कि मेरी बोलने की हिम्मत भी नहीं हो रही है | और दूसरी तरफ़ मैं देख रहा हूँ कि इन दिनों भारत में युवाओं की Football में रुचि बढ़ रही है | EPL हो, Spanish League हो या Indian Super League के match हों, भारत का युवा उसके विषय में जानकारी पाने के लिए, TV पर देखने के लिए समय निकालता है | कहने का तात्पर्य यह है कि रूचि तो बढ़ रही है | लेकिन इतना बड़ा अवसर जब भारत में आ रहा है, तो हम सिर्फ़ मेज़बान बन कर के अपनी जिम्मेवारी पूरी करेंगे ? इस पूरा वर्ष एक Football, Football, Football का माहौल बना दें | स्कूलों में, कॉलेजों में, हिन्दुस्तान के हर कोने पर हमारे नौजवान, हमारे स्कूलों के बालक पसीने से तर-ब-तर हों | चारों तरफ़ Football खेला जाता हो | ये अगर करेंगे, तो फिर तो मेज़बानी का मज़ा आएगा और इसलिए हम सब की कोशिश होनी चाहिये कि हम Football को गाँव-गाँव, गली-गली कैसे पहुँचाएं | 2017 FIFA Under – 17 विश्व कप एक ऐसा अवसर है | इस एक साल के भीतर-भीतर हम चारों तरफ़ नौजवानों के अन्दर Football के लिए एक नया जोश भर दें, एक नया उत्साह भर दें | इस मेज़बानी का एक फ़ायदा तो है ही है कि हमारे यहाँ infrastructure तैयार होगा, खेल के लिए जो आवश्यक सुविधाएँ हैं, उस पर ध्यान जाएगा | मुझे तो इसका आनंद तब मिलेगा, जब हम हर नौजवान को Football के साथ जोड़ेंगे |
दोस्तो, मैं आप से एक अपेक्षा करता हूँ | 2017 की ये मेज़बानी, ये अवसर कैसा हो, साल भर का हमारा Football में momentum लाने के लिए कैसे-कैसे कार्यक्रम हों, प्रचार कैसे हो, व्यवस्थाओं में सुधार कैसे हो, FIFA Under – 17 विश्व कप के माध्यम से भारत के नौजवानों में खेल के प्रति रूचि कैसे बढ़े, सरकारों में, शैक्षिक संस्थाओं में, अन्य सामाजिक संगठनों में, खेल के साथ जुड़ने की स्पर्धा कैसे खड़ी हो ? Cricket में हम सब ये देख पा रहे हैं, लेकिन यही चीज़ और खेलों में भी लानी है | Football एक अवसर है | क्या आप मुझे अपने सुझाव दे सकते हैं ? वैश्विक स्तर पर भारत का branding करने के लिए एक बहुत बड़ा अवसर मैं मानता हूँ | भारत की युवा शक्ति की पहचान कराने का अवसर मानता हूँ | Match के दरमियान क्या पाया, क्या खोया, उस अर्थ में नहीं | इस मेज़बानी की तैयारी के द्वारा भी हम अपनी शक्ति को संजो सकते हैं, शक्ति को प्रकट भी कर सकते हैं और हम भारत का Branding भी कर सकते हैं | क्या आप मुझे NarendraModiApp, इस पर अपने सुझाव भेज सकते हैं क्या ? Logo कैसा हो, slogans कैसे हों, भारत में इस बात को फैलाने के लिए क्या-क्या तरीके हों, गीत कैसे हों, souvenirs बनाने हैं, तो किस-किस प्रकार के souvenirs बन सकते हैं ? सोचिए दोस्तो, और मैं चाहूँगा कि मेरा हर नौजवान ये 2017 FIFA Under- 17 विश्व कप का ambassador बने | आप भी इसमें शरीक होइए, भारत की पहचान बनाने का सुनहरा अवसर है |

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

Australia to help develop football in Kerala

http://m.ibnlive.com/footballnext/news/australia-to-help-develop-football-in-kerala-1226365.html

Kochi: Seeking "social progress" through football, Football Federation Australia (FFA) will help develop the sport and various life skills in children aged 6 to 12 in Kerala later this year.

Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop on Wednesday announced the grassroots development pilot programme for the Indian state called 'Just Play'.

"It is still in its initial stages. The Kerala Football Association has been assigned to identify the communities. The aim is to ensure gender equality, social progress through football. Using football as a medium to develop the downtrodden community. That is the aim," a KFA official told PTI.

FFA said in a statement the programme aims to give children a positive experience with football while also "teaching lessons about important social issues, such as gender equality and sanitation".

The joint venture between the Australian government, the Oceania Football Confederation, FFA, UNICEF and UEFA Foundation was established in 2009.
This will be the first time the programme has been implemented outside of the Pacific region.

FFA chief executive David Gallop stated "combining football with an educational agenda is a compelling way to engage with vulnerable children".

 

[Tactical Frog]

:biggrin2: Oh come on! Football is not a sissy sport like cricket. Soccer is a full contact sport like rugby.
I feel indians are not genetically inclined to sports. A nation of 1.3 billion can not win 10 golds in Olympics. Italy, with only 20 million wins 20 golds !!

Sorry, but you are so wrong .. it is all about politics, having a government policy to support vast numbers of olympic sports, from kayak, rowing, to archery, shooting. You need to invest a lot in equipments, clubs, federations. If only a single Indian state, even small, was doing that, you would see the medals falling in your basket ! India has mountains, ocean, rivers, lakes, so you can compete in every discipline. If the Brazilians or Italians can, then, yes, you can !
It may even be cheaper than the Rafale deal

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

Solutions needed for smooth merger of ISL, I-League

http://www.asianage.com/football/solutions-needed-smooth-merger-isl-i-league-599

The suspense is over. The cat is out of the bag. The much anticipated merger between the I-League and the Indian Super League has finally materialised. From 2017, after the completion of the sub-junior World Cup in India, there will be only one league in the country.

The name is undecided but this new league will have the ISL’s eight franchises and three supporters based I-League clubs, East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC.

This merger took place due to the painstaking efforts of All India Football Federation secretary Kushal Das and vice-president Subroto Dutta (the Amit Shah of the AIFF).

Both AIFF officials also emphasised that the new League will be played as per Asian Football Confederation guidelines. That means each team will be allowed to recruit and play only four foreigners, which will include one of Asian origin.

It is also reliably learnt that the budget for each of the participating teams will not exceed Rs 18 crore per season.

At present the top I-League clubs spend Rs 10-12 crore per season, so East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru will need extra sponsors to procure a competitive budget to compete in the transfer market.

A tentative agreement has been reached but there are still several unanswered questions. There is no clarity regards relegation, prize money or sharing of TV revenue. It is learnt that in the first season there will not be any relegation.

The future of the six remaining I-League clubs is bleak. It is said that they will play in the second division. The other alternative is that they may merge with ISL franchises in their city.

But the future of clubs like Salgaocar, Sporting Clube de Goa, Aizawl FC and Shillong Lajong looks uncertain.

Even if they win the 2nd division of the I-League, they may struggle to procure a `18 crore budget per season and could get relegated again.

When this new league kicks off there will be a major scramble to procure the services of top Indian players. The question that arises is who owns the players.

In the inaugural ISL, the I-League clubs loaned out their players to the franchises. But in the 2nd edition of the ISL, the roles got reversed.

Take the case of striker Robin Singh. When the 2nd ISL ended he remained an unattached player. His franchise Delhi Dynamos tempted him that with their contacts they would try and procure him a contract abroad, probably with a professional club in Australia. Robin got interested and refused a loan to his previous club Bengaluru FC. After he was injured in the Saff Cup in December 2015, no I-League club was interested in him. Delhi Dynamos are now looking after his medical bills and rehabilitation.

So when will the transfers be held and how will it work prior to the start of the new League slated to kick-off in November 2017. Will all the top Indian players be available on auction? Will Sony Norde be a Mohun Bagan player or a Mumbai City FC player? The AIFF has to find amicable situations, so there is no discrimination against any of the clubs.

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

Clash between Bengaluru fc and East Bengal fc during practice session

 

[sasum]

Sorry, but you are so wrong .. it is all about politics, having a government policy to support vast numbers of olympic sports, from kayak, rowing, to archery, shooting. You need to invest a lot in equipments, clubs, federations. If only a single Indian state, even small, was doing that, you would see the medals falling in your basket ! India has mountains, ocean, rivers, lakes, so you can compete in every discipline. If the Brazilians or Italians can, then, yes, you can !
It may even be cheaper than the Rafale deal

You talk like a typical diehard Indian patriot who would put all his wretchedness at the doorstep of politicians. Don't live in the past. Indian Govt. now a days pumps a lot of money into athletics and major team-sports. Equipment and infrastructure are world-standard these days. Only talent is lacking !!
As for your Rafael dig, consider yourself fortunate if you don't have neighbours like China & Pakistan. Defence equip are not status symbol for India, these are necessary for survival. Unfortunately, like in sports, we are also laggard in hi-tech manufacturing.

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

In Defence of Bengaluru FC

http://www.tensports.com/blogs/defence-bengaluru-fc

Bengaluru FC continued to make headlines as they won their second I-League title in just their 3 year history. Such large success in such a small amount of time has seen their fanbase grow by leaps and bounds, but as with any success story, it has also brought about with it a fair share of haters for the Banglorean Blues, especially from rabid fans of traditionally successful teams.

A number of fans of teams such as Mohan Bagan and Kingfisher East Bengal have taken to the internet to spew vitriol against the Blues of Bengaluru, and one could argue that it is essentially a case of sour grapes. The Marines fans have lost their title, while the East Bengal fans now know that there is a new kid on the block, challenging their turf and their rules with his might, such has been Bengaluru FC’s rise to prominence. Indeed, some have even called them AIFF’s child, as if the All India Football Federation has conspired to make the Blues win. But then Bengaluru FC itself has been at loggerheads with the AIFF, and Sunil Chhetri, the skipper of the Indian National Team as well as the captain of the Blues himself has been quite candid in talking about the drawbacks of Indian football and the errors which plague AIFF.

Then there have been some fans who are merely frustrated at the bad showing from their own teams on field as well as the fiasco of its management staff with player relations, as epitomised in the case with Sony Norde just last week.

Some have even gone on to say that Bengaluru is only winning because of the money they invested and because they are a ‘rich’ club – fans of teams like Manchester City and Chelsea would be familiar with this argument – and yet, without spending how can a team come to the top and attract the best players?

And again, Bengaluru FC has not only been buying talent, they have coupled youth development and integrated young players seamlessly into their main team. They could have gone for an established player like Anas Edathodika, but they took on the young Centre-Back Salam Ranjan instead. They offered winger Malsawmzuala his first team debut in January 2016, and since then he along with fellow winger Udanta Singh has been a consistent fixture in the team.

Indeed, though there was a big cricket match taking place in Bengaluru at the same time that the Blues played against Salgaocar FC in the Kanteerava Stadium, yet the football club attracted a substantial crowd for the game, which is apt proof of the way the South Indian Club is changing the footballing landscape and attracting fans with its brand of football.

There is no doubt that the Goan and Kolkatan clubs have unparalleled history in Indian football, but their fans instead of spewing vitriol against the newest I-League Champions, should instead welcome them into the fold. After all, the increased competition will only be beneficial for Indian football, with the matches generating more viewership, the teams developing more young players which will be helpful for the Indian NT in the future, and the healthy rivalry would only spur the players to play better, and the clubs to do better.

The spectacular rise of Bengaluru FC is a cause for celebration, and instead of garnering hatred, they should be given the appreciation they deserve for their efforts. After all, we finally have Indian Clubs making progress in the right directions. Let’s celebrate this achievement instead of pulling them down.

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

Indian Super League, I-League merger by 2018: AIFF

http://zeenews.india.com/sports/foo...gue-i-league-merger-by-2018-aiff_1878188.html