Kolkata, October 16 : Bob Houghton has big plans for Indian football. The Englishman laid out a blueprint for the sport’s development in the country after meeting the coaches of Indian clubs.
“For Indian football to make its presence felt, the national team has to get success. The I-League has to be the premier tournament and very competitive,” he said.
From 2009, the I-League will start in September with 14 teams and will continue till May. In between, there will be breaks for the senior national team’s camp in January, March and July. The Nehru Cup will be played in August. Houghton is also considering a suggestion to the All India Football Federation, urging them to invite the U-23 teams of Australia and Japan for the event.
Qualification for the 2011 Asian Cup has meant that India are now among the Asian elite and Houghton plans to raise the bar. “We have an invitation from Thailand for the King’s Cup where Denmark are expected to play. We also have an invitation from the UAE,” he said. “We should aim to be in the top seven to 20 teams in Asia,” he added.
Source:Indianexpress.com
“For Indian football to make its presence felt, the national team has to get success. The I-League has to be the premier tournament and very competitive,” he said.
From 2009, the I-League will start in September with 14 teams and will continue till May. In between, there will be breaks for the senior national team’s camp in January, March and July. The Nehru Cup will be played in August. Houghton is also considering a suggestion to the All India Football Federation, urging them to invite the U-23 teams of Australia and Japan for the event.
Qualification for the 2011 Asian Cup has meant that India are now among the Asian elite and Houghton plans to raise the bar. “We have an invitation from Thailand for the King’s Cup where Denmark are expected to play. We also have an invitation from the UAE,” he said. “We should aim to be in the top seven to 20 teams in Asia,” he added.
Source:Indianexpress.com
