South Africa, a nation known for many good things just added one more to its cap by successfully hosting this year's world cup. A game that glued millions to their seat and stay awake to watch their favorite players. The game started with 32 teams on June 11th and ended with 2 teams on July 11th with SPAIN clinching the title.
I was thinking how I got attracted to this game. The answer came to me as 'my parents'. Thanks to my parents particularly my father (who has been a footballer himself & played in College matches in 50s). He keeps telling the fellow viewers watching TV on the fouls/ missed chances/ corners that a Forward/Defense/Midfielder does. Wait.. Did I tell all the positions? yes. Taking words from him and getting inspired I started following this sport. I stop by here (on me watching) just by making a comment - Every parent should motivate their ward (boy or girl) to get associated with some sports other than cricket. Say Basket ball or Football or Tennis. India can produce lots of Jordans, Villas and Nadels.
I still wonder why due attention and motivation is not given to this wonderful game. Today if at all, football is known in India, its primarily due to the playing states - Kerala, WB and Goa out of 27 states in India. Thats about 10 percent. All the other states love and watch football. Thanks to Mohun Began and East Bengal teams and Santosh trophy - still football is alive. It is a known fact that the past history of Indian football was not all that gloomy and bright. There are lots of FB associations in India with the same (torch) bearers in the post doing nothing.
Adding to it, is the dirty politics that exists in every sports. The government can step in to promote this game by providing extrinsic motivation, proper infrastructure, have excellent coaches like Dunga? Whynot? When cricket can have a foreign player as their manager, why not Football? Afterall, its money and passion. The quality of the game should come a long way.
Professionally managed associations (no Government interference) to oversee the selection of players, giving them intense training etc. The task is challenging by a doable one. We can definitely make the 2 time Asia cup winner to play in WC.
Government, are you listening? All it takes is to allocate 10 percent of the money you spend towards promoting CRICKET to FOOTBALL. India will SHINE!
hi madam...first of all a big surprise to meet a conservative(i mean our culture!)/bhramin/south-indian girl talking on tis wonderful sport "foot ball". first thanks for that!!...s as u rightly pointed out... govt shld take more proactive role in taking tis sport to much better lvl in india. it is really a shame to be the second largest country in the world(in terms of pop) and still finding for fan-base for tis wonderful sport!?....may be if v analyse the reason for lack of tis sport in india, one prominent reason that strikes my mind is the "more physical " nature of tis sport. our asians nd esp indians are physically much smaller nd weak compared to the other football playing zones in the world. but tis reason can still be managed with better strategic and technical ploys to outdo the physical attire of tis sport. tis is very well visible in countries like japan/korea etc...who r able to overcome tis physical dis-advantage.
ReplyDeletetks for talking on one of my fav subject!. all the best! rgds sathyan
You are right sir. I missed on the physic of Indians. May be they should start at a very young age. Somewhere they should at least be able to represent the Asian cup and win continuously if not WC.
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