indian football

[murlikt]

Hey where is everyone gone?

NFL is over, new India coach, pakistan series under 2 weeks...there is many things happening now in Indian football.

What did you think about this NFL are there any future stars that can become India players or even play overseas? I think it is good Dempo won and also Sporting were close because these teams make the league even. I hope Dempo can get some good players so they can play better in AFC cup next.

About the national team will India win in Pakistan? I think they have a good chance the team is young but I think RC Prakash should be selected since without Bhutia and DCunha there are all young strikers. This is a shame also because maybe coach could try some overseas Indian players, this series is only friendlies not a qualifier so he should have at least tried Kodiattu, Ranvir maybe

[sunnyd]

I guess India's national team performances this past year dampened the enthusiasm and support gained from some of its previous successes.

I don't know how well they will perform against Pakistan, but for the sake of football in India, I hope they do good. India needs to re-establish dominance in South Asia and aim to join the Asian elite. They cannot afford to drag their feet any longer.

[BSharma]

If Indian football team cannot beat the teams from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka then it is in bigger trouble than what I think it already is.

[jorden390]

i feel the islander boys from andaman and nicobar deserves to play for india they are damn good man awesome stuff!

lil more training and they can change indian football scene

hope the coach lets them in! now onwards

[murlikt]

I think India will win the series but it will be tough playing in that country with all the politics and maybe the security. It will be interesting to see the new players in the team this series i am excited about everyone wants to see India beat Pakistan. I think now with not much cricket and the European Cup and the exciting NFL there is interest in football I think it is going forward not backward. If India can win the matches then there be more fans

[prasen9]

Patnaik says Odisha to support development of football in India.

[arjun2761]

https://thebridge.in/football/discussin ... ball-45752


Somewhat superficial article but it raises some interesting points on why we are struggling as much as we do in Football.

[srini]

Good article thanks for sharing. Most of the points raised make sense. The one which talks about early initiation to sport is a double edged weapon though. For example, Indian hockey players get initiated to the game very early on but on surfaces that are non-standard like playgrounds with grass etc and they pickup habits like dribbling most of the times needlessly because its glorified. Some such skills may be useful on uneven surfaces but not on turfs. It takes some 'unlearning' of such bad habits picked up during early age to make it big during the crucial phase of a player's career in any sport.
The central government does seem to be working towards creating a framework for tournaments for early initiation to sports by its 'Khelo India' platform.

[jayakris]

Somewhat superficial article but it raises some interesting points on why we are struggling as much as we do in Football.

Certainly superficial. The issue of not enough football in formative years is certainly correct, but the underlying reason is missed. I have held on to one reason, and only one for a long time. Football fields and all irregular playing areas taken over by that other sport of no true global relevance. But I am a broken record on this. But I may as well repeat it. Until this is addressed, we will not get anywhere in world soccer. We may, at best, improve from around #100 to maybe 85 or 75 (which would be a huge improvement) in a few years... But we will NEVER make top-50 in the world until 60 percent of our boys under age of 10 are playing football as the primary game (i.e., 2/3rd of their playing time) like everywhere else in the world. I mean EVERYWHERE except the Indian subcontinent. Till we solve the playing area issue (which is connected to kids' interest too, somewhat), we won't get anywhere.

[srini]

I mean EVERYWHERE except the Indian subcontinent. Till we solve the playing area issue (which is connected to kids' interest too, somewhat), we won't get anywhere.

how can we be missing out China ? Indian sub continent and China put together form more than 1/3 of world population(actually about 40%).

Even if we blame the lack of emerging talent in football to the sport that is said to have no global relevance, how do we explain the lack of emerging talent in China which is also languishing at 80 or so FIFA rank? All the play grounds in that country must be available to the Chinese children to play football for as much time as they like! Or do they play some local dragon sport which consumes all grounds? Just asking to find out because i also think cricket is usurping a disproportionate number of kids from playing other sports and taking up athletics.