World Cup 2010: India's football absence examined

[DesiGuy]

There is an old proverb in India: "Padhoge Likhoge to banoge nawab, kheloge koodoge to banoge kharab."

It means that if you study properly you will be successful in life, but on the other hand if you play too much you will simply waste your life.

This mentality has contributed to India's poor performance in sports.

And it is probably why India has made an impact on the world map more as a country which has produced more software professionals, doctors, engineers etc. rather than as a nation of sportsmen.


A few English Premier League teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool have initiated some talent hunt schemes in India

Before a Cricket World Cup win in 1983, India's other major sporting victory was in 1975 when the national field hockey team won the World Cup.

With the beginning of European countries' domination in hockey, Indian Cricket World Cup triumph in 1983 gave the nation something new to cheer for.

Cricket picked up the pace in India and world class players like Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar helped in boosting the popularity of game.

The kind of attention cricketers got and their celebrity status meant that budding young sporting talent moved towards cricket.

Football, on the other hand, was a once popular game but has now fallen into a vicious cycle.

It needs funds to attract the talent and popularise the sport, but to attract sponsors they need a team with which the sponsors would like to associate themselves.

Indian national football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia
India's captain Bhaichung Bhutia is well-known - as a reality TV contestant

It could have been very different.

While India has never played in the World Cup finals, in 1950 the country did actually manage to qualify - but withdrew at the last minute because it was too expensive to travel to the competition in Brazil.

It has never since come close to qualifying again - and currently sits 133rd in the Fifa world rankings behind the likes of Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Yemen.

All these factors would suggest that Indian interest in the World Cup would be low, but that is far from the case.

Being absent from the global stage means fans are free to pick and choose which ever teams they want.

The Indian football obsession is to the extent that people are awake for late nights to watch matches and support their favourite teams.

The semi-finals started at midnight - yet people were still glued to their television sets. The same will be true for the final.



BBC Sport - Football - World Cup 2010: India's football absence examined

 

[FreekiN]

>While India has never played in the World Cup finals, in 1950 the country did actually manage to qualify - but withdrew at the last minute because it was too expensive to travel to the competition in Brazil.

I think i remember that Pakistan was once at this stage as well many many years ago. Unfortunately, when they were coming back from Brazil and the plane crashed, killing everyone on board. but i dunno what year it was though

 

[DesiGuy]

I think i remember that Pakistan was once at this stage as well many many years ago. Unfortunately, when they were coming back from Brazil and the plane crashed, killing everyone on board. but i dunno what year it was though[/QUOTE]



So sad for both teams.

 

[Old School]

The South Asian culture is by all mean not football friendly. Here in the UK, we do not notice significant interest on football among the sub-continental community. Please take a closer look at your surrounding to see how many of these boys have the proper physical fitness to play at that highest level of football which is very different than cricket.

 

[indushek]

The South Asian culture is by all mean not football friendly. Here in the UK, we do not notice significant interest on football among the sub-continental community. Please take a closer look at your surrounding to see how many of these boys have the proper physical fitness to play at that highest level of football which is very different than cricket.

You have hit the nail with ur post , its true not many are fit to play at international level for football which is quite different to cricket. Only if our gov's start good facilities and good promotion programmes can this take off well. What do u say??

 

[Old School]

You have hit the nail with ur post , its true not many are fit to play at international level for football which is quite different to cricket. Only if our gov's start good facilities and good promotion programmes can this take off well. What do u say??

From what I know , pro football fitness is way above the level of endurance+ stamina+physical fitness we cultivate in the special forces. I would love to see this pro football fitness work flow at our military academy. Football clubs like Chelsea/Man United invested hundreds of millions of Pound in their training projects. This is not something our governments in Pakistan or India can afford. Instead, we need professional football clubs to grow and they can take the leadership role to cultivate world class footballers.

 

[indushek]

From what I know , pro football fitness is way above the level of endurance+ stamina+physical fitness we cultivate in the special forces. I would love to see this pro football fitness work flow at our military academy. Football clubs like Chelsea/Man United invested hundreds of millions of Pound in their training projects. This is not something our governments in Pakistan or India can afford. Instead, we need professional football clubs to grow and they can take the leadership role to cultivate world class footballers.

Well in both our countries rather than State involvement those providing for revenue through ads and other agreements with our respective boards are more so may be the same model could followed but with a larger invovement by them. So in a way ur right when u say private clubs should develop this since they can do it. I mean big MNC 's , i hope u understand me.

 

[Freedom]

no doubt India's has poor performance in sports because after independence our leaders never gave priority to sports and corruption in sports killed the rest of talent. but now government is taking it serious and increase the budget of sports and trying to search the talent. due to poor performance in sports no body thought that India can win any medal in Beijing Olympic but we won 1 gold and 2 other.i know it's not enough for 1 billion country but India is changing. i hope we will won lot of medal in CWG 2010 and next Olympic.

 

[SpArK]

India lacks talent in team events except cricket and hockey.

 

[Old School]

IPL is going to destroy the sports in general in India and in the neighbouring countries. It is noting but a commercial venture. How many countries play Cricket in the world ? There are also disputes if Cricket is a really physical sport.

 

[t_for_talli]

solution is simple : make lalit modi chairmen of Indian football federation

 

[SpArK]

There is no need to play football,hockey etc Just play cricket.
we can ONLY play cricket well.

Do what you are good at. forget about the rest.

The country's GDP does not grow by winning medals

Sports are for GDP growth.???

"Intellect" huh?????

 

[SpArK]

We are talking about Football here.

Infrastructure is not an issue here.

 

[prototype]

IPL is going to destroy the sports in general in India and in the neighbouring countries. It is noting but a commercial venture. How many countries play Cricket in the world ? There are also disputes if Cricket is a really physical sport.

ahhhhhhh they r again with it,if ipl is destroying cricket in India,then it is our problem

if it is destroying cricket in ur nation,then it is ur incompetence

if it is destroying the sport,then it is its vulnerability,its bound to happen 1 day and even god cant protect it

commercial or not,we in India enjoy IPL very much and dont care the destruction anthem much,get out of ur hatred for IPL

 

[SpArK]

India needs
1. Rapid economic growth
2. technological salience and strength
3. Military muscle

TO HELL WITH SPORTS.

So what do you suggest ban all the sports and make more nukes???