By Tanmoy Ghosh
Football is not just a game in India but it was involved in the independent movement of India too. Football became part of Bengal’s part and tract when Mohun Bagan (the national club of India) routed East York (the English Team) in the IFA Shield final of 1911.
This victory became a part of Bengal’s nationalist mythology because eleven Indian had defeated a team of white players after being dominated by them over 200 years. Moreover, ten of the former had played barefooted while opponents had been in boots.
It was never easy playing barefoot against players wearing boots. It was one of the historical achievements, which was written, in golden words in the history of India.
The year 1911 is significant because it marked a low point in Bengal’s history politically: the capital was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.
It was quite symbolic victory against the British team on football ground. Before independence football matches against the British not merely a match but a struggle against racial differences.
The trio of Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting led the field and first two team remain the traditional rivals, from the time of independence. But soccer fans were non-partisan in their choice of heroes and good footballer was esteemed and adored irrespective of the club he played for. The Fifties and Sixties represent the golden age of Kolkata football and players were key figure in India’s victory in the Asian Games and the Merdeka Cup.
In most part of the world and in all games, increasing profesionalization has led to a definite improvement in standards. But in comparison Indian football doesn’t developed that much. Though today there are many individual outstanding football players but the overall standard is poor and football above everything else is a team game.
There are many factors behind this – one factor could be stamina and fitness. Though during the time of sixties and seventies the game was not 90 minutes. Fitness levels, despite rigorous coaching, are nowhere near international level. This may be due to the physique and diet of Indians. The cricket mania was another factor, which holds a higher place in the sporting imagination of the cities sports loving people.
Big companies, sponsors and media prefer cricket than any other sports which made our countries football rank much below day by day. Moreover, lack of international exposure was another factor for the degrading of the sport.
IFA and AIFA the organizing football body in India totally failed to pull the standard of Indian football, nor do they show any improvement to organize any tournament where genuine good foreign football teams can play and we can up grade our performance.
The Indian team or clubs should play in abroad for better exposure.
Despite all this, a match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal still draws out the fervent loyalties of their respective fans and heated arguments at every tea stall over post match recaps is a common scene.
Hope one-day football will regain its lost glory. Its quite praiseworthy that many clubs from other states are also emerging not only that players from different states are coming to this sports. Football, the craze of the mass; the game people die for; the game that is watched with such frenzied and fanatical loyalty, is undoubtedly emerge in India too.
But what is most urgently required for Indian football’s up gradation is investment of multinational companies into this game. Like wise in Europe and America the game was hyped due to tremendous participation of multi national companies. India ranked far behind than top hundred countries. In order to come among the top football playing nations India need good infrastructure, may be foreign coaches.
The player should get proper training in order to compete with better teams. Physical fitness is one of the most concerned areas where Indian players have to work harder and harder in order to compete with international level of football.
Well u cannot say that, a coach is a rare phenomenon that a nation of over 100 crore people with unparalleled heritage of thousands of years cannot provide.
In fact, only minnows need a coach. Media should start paying more attention to science and creative arts rather than wasting time and energy on trivialities.
Moreover coaches can be found among the retired players. An Indian, can only realize the pulse of the players than a foreign coach.
Globalisation has become an order of the day. In all spheres of economic activities, except for a few select areas concerning national security, several countries have started hiring foreign professionals, in order for the development of the sports. If the exercise should be result oriented, then there is no hard in hiring foreign coaches.
In our country, where 70 per cent of the population lives in villages, from where most of our players come, the standard of education is not all that good. Moreover the Indian players does not understand English, so appointing a foreign coach to train our players will not fully serve our purpose, as it will create a huge communication gap between the players and the coach.
What we need to do is stop the interference of politicians in selections and let the players emerge for the national team accordance to their performance. Only then can he motivate and train the players better.
This country has produced some legendary sportsmen on its own, so the question somehow rose by the critics that are the need to appoint a foreign coach. These coaches not only consume more funds and they hardly knew about our culture and geography of India. Briefly in order to revive the lost glory Indian football need total change which can’t be gone without investment of multi-national companies.
Article origanally published in Universal Journal
Football is not just a game in India but it was involved in the independent movement of India too. Football became part of Bengal’s part and tract when Mohun Bagan (the national club of India) routed East York (the English Team) in the IFA Shield final of 1911.
This victory became a part of Bengal’s nationalist mythology because eleven Indian had defeated a team of white players after being dominated by them over 200 years. Moreover, ten of the former had played barefooted while opponents had been in boots.
It was never easy playing barefoot against players wearing boots. It was one of the historical achievements, which was written, in golden words in the history of India.
The year 1911 is significant because it marked a low point in Bengal’s history politically: the capital was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.
It was quite symbolic victory against the British team on football ground. Before independence football matches against the British not merely a match but a struggle against racial differences.
The trio of Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting led the field and first two team remain the traditional rivals, from the time of independence. But soccer fans were non-partisan in their choice of heroes and good footballer was esteemed and adored irrespective of the club he played for. The Fifties and Sixties represent the golden age of Kolkata football and players were key figure in India’s victory in the Asian Games and the Merdeka Cup.
In most part of the world and in all games, increasing profesionalization has led to a definite improvement in standards. But in comparison Indian football doesn’t developed that much. Though today there are many individual outstanding football players but the overall standard is poor and football above everything else is a team game.
There are many factors behind this – one factor could be stamina and fitness. Though during the time of sixties and seventies the game was not 90 minutes. Fitness levels, despite rigorous coaching, are nowhere near international level. This may be due to the physique and diet of Indians. The cricket mania was another factor, which holds a higher place in the sporting imagination of the cities sports loving people.
Big companies, sponsors and media prefer cricket than any other sports which made our countries football rank much below day by day. Moreover, lack of international exposure was another factor for the degrading of the sport.
IFA and AIFA the organizing football body in India totally failed to pull the standard of Indian football, nor do they show any improvement to organize any tournament where genuine good foreign football teams can play and we can up grade our performance.
The Indian team or clubs should play in abroad for better exposure.
Despite all this, a match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal still draws out the fervent loyalties of their respective fans and heated arguments at every tea stall over post match recaps is a common scene.
Hope one-day football will regain its lost glory. Its quite praiseworthy that many clubs from other states are also emerging not only that players from different states are coming to this sports. Football, the craze of the mass; the game people die for; the game that is watched with such frenzied and fanatical loyalty, is undoubtedly emerge in India too.
But what is most urgently required for Indian football’s up gradation is investment of multinational companies into this game. Like wise in Europe and America the game was hyped due to tremendous participation of multi national companies. India ranked far behind than top hundred countries. In order to come among the top football playing nations India need good infrastructure, may be foreign coaches.
The player should get proper training in order to compete with better teams. Physical fitness is one of the most concerned areas where Indian players have to work harder and harder in order to compete with international level of football.
Well u cannot say that, a coach is a rare phenomenon that a nation of over 100 crore people with unparalleled heritage of thousands of years cannot provide.
In fact, only minnows need a coach. Media should start paying more attention to science and creative arts rather than wasting time and energy on trivialities.
Moreover coaches can be found among the retired players. An Indian, can only realize the pulse of the players than a foreign coach.
Globalisation has become an order of the day. In all spheres of economic activities, except for a few select areas concerning national security, several countries have started hiring foreign professionals, in order for the development of the sports. If the exercise should be result oriented, then there is no hard in hiring foreign coaches.
In our country, where 70 per cent of the population lives in villages, from where most of our players come, the standard of education is not all that good. Moreover the Indian players does not understand English, so appointing a foreign coach to train our players will not fully serve our purpose, as it will create a huge communication gap between the players and the coach.
What we need to do is stop the interference of politicians in selections and let the players emerge for the national team accordance to their performance. Only then can he motivate and train the players better.
This country has produced some legendary sportsmen on its own, so the question somehow rose by the critics that are the need to appoint a foreign coach. These coaches not only consume more funds and they hardly knew about our culture and geography of India. Briefly in order to revive the lost glory Indian football need total change which can’t be gone without investment of multi-national companies.
Article origanally published in Universal Journal
