Indian Football in 2015 - Story of Misguided Priorities
Indian football has little to boast of in 2015. It has been a year to forget on field and as well as off it. The national team failed miserably in the World Cup qualifiers while the administrators did little to make things better with a lack of effort and direction.
Indian football has good news - the year 2015 is coming to an end! As absurd and pointless as it may sound, but those following its growth or rather the lack of it, would know how relieving it would be to bid adieu to one of the most disappointing years for India in the sport. (Football 'at Death's Door', Indian Super League Teams a Worried Bunch)
Let's not even go into the performance of the national team, which has been even below its usual mediocre standards but corporate entities practically 'taking over' the football administration has been more annoying. (Foreigners And Not Indians Decide Results in Indian Super League, Hints Bhaichung Bhutia)
The latest impact of this was felt by the national team, just ahead of their 2018 World Cup qualifiers (away) against Oman and Turkmenistan in September, when Indian Super League (ISL) teams refused to release players for a national camp. (Indian Super League Organisers Give National Team a Cold Shoulder)
Frustrated National Team Coach
National team coach Stephen Constantine, who came in for his second stint in India in January, had no choice but to rue the lack of direction and effort on the part of the All India Football Federation (AIFF). (Wanted More Time for Preparations for Turkmenistan Clash: Sunil Chhetri)
"Is it that difficult to sync your calendar? It's not when you've the development of the game (as target). It is when you're thinking about TV ratings. It's not possible that a TV station can tell us when we can start our season. If we do not change, Indian football will die," this was his damning assessment. (Sunil Chhetri Asks For Patience After Poor FIFA World Cup Campaign)
Instead of addressing the national team coach's concerns, AIFF president Praful Patel chose to shut the Briton up. (Indian Super League Good For Show, 'Zero' Benefit For Indian Football: Zico)
"Mr Constantine is not the custodian of Indian football. He is the custodian of the Indian national team. Please don't listen to everything that the coach says," he said. (India Must at Least Become the Football Champions of Asia: Praful Patel)
Poor Show in World Cup Qualifiers
The impact of such open verbal war between people running the sport was there for all to see. India lost five out of their six matches in the World Cup qualifiers, winning just one against Guam. The same opponents, the smallest Asian Football Confederation (AFC) country, however defeated India 2-1 in an away tie. (Indian Football Lacks Sports Scientists: Stephen Constantine)
If this was not enough, the fascination of the AIFF in basking in the glory and glitz of the ISL saw three I-League teams - Pune FC, Kalyani Bharat FC and Royal Wahingdoh - shutting shops. (Royal Wahingdoh Pull out of I-League, Third Club to do so This Year)
© PTI
No Road-map for I-League
All of them declared the lack of any financial roadmap for teams as the main reason for their decision. This was in sharp contrast to the extended 'help' that the ISL teams get in keeping their players at the cost of the national team. (Indian Super League-I League Merger: More Questions Than Answers)
It was not only the teams that suffered but the fans too, as the long running Federation Cup was discontinued. The cramped football calendar was seen as a major reason, while AIFF conveniently chose to ignore that it was the ISL that unbalanced the national football calendar. (Indian Super League Has Changed Football in India, Still Not a Permanent Solution)
Such depressing incidents shrouded the faint silver lining in the game. Sunil Chhetri became the first Indian to score more than 50 international goals while the India U-16 team impressed with its victories against Lebanon and Bahrain in the AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers. The same team will be playing the 2017 Under-17 World Cup in India, and currently it is only in the future that Indian football can bank upon. (India's 2017 Under-17 World Cup Team Shaping Up Well, Says Bhaichung Bhutia)