Moments to remember .........
By Rahul Sengupta & Anselm Noronha
03-Jan-2011 10:01:00 AM
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Note: The list is in no particular ascending or descending order of importance.
Reincarnated By Themselves - The Indian Women's Football Team
After being stripped off from the FIFA rankings for not playing an international match for almost two years, they forced their presence back into the ranking system in March 2010.
Making India Proud!
In February, the Indian women won the gold medal in the South Asian Games in Dhaka; and recently in December, to add to their tally, they created history by clinching the first ever SAFF Women’s Championship title in Bangladesh.
The Woman Who Became 'Man' Of The Match - Referee Maria Rebello
Referee Maria Rebello became the first female with a FIFA referee's batch to officiate in the 64th Santosh Trophy, in the match between Delhi and Madhya Pradesh played at Kolkata, on July 25 of the year 2010!
Congratulations!
The Goan based officiator defied the odds of beating the rough with the smooth for the Indian female with her command over the game. She is also part of the AFC elite panel of referees and became the first in her gender to do so in India.
Third Indian To Live A Foreign Dream - Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri became the third Indian player to play on foreign shores after Mohamed Salim (Celtic) and Bhaichung Bhutia (Bury FC) and would only be the eighth Asian to ply his trade in the MLS.
The Third Indian To Do So
But life wasn’t easy for the Delhi boy after his move to Kansas City Wizards. The adjustment to the new conditions, people, climate and football took time and eventually made him more mature. Chhetri also got the opportunity to play against Manchester United while he represented the Wizards.
In two other attempts, Gouramangi Moirangthem failed to secure a contract with Australian A-League club Melbourne Heart FC and MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps turned down the option to sign Subrata Paul however insisting that they will keep track of the goalkeeper's progress in the future.
Men In Blues Going Global – The Indian National Team
International exposure has been one of the major drawbacks for Indian football for many years together. But ever since British coach Bob Houghton took over, the team has been getting the much needed foreign tours to add to their experience.
Foreign Exposure
Starting off with a short camp in Dubai, followed by a 2 months long training camp in Portugal the team finally ended their Asian Cup preparation by having similar camps in Dubai and Doha. Since September the Men in Blues have faced a series of international opponents. Starting with Thailand in Bangkok to a return leg in New Delhi, the Indian team played four more home matches including the likes of Namibia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Yemen.
Bob Houghton’s boys further went to Dubai where they faced heavy weight teams like Iraq, Kuwait and UAE. Despite the fact that the India lost most of the matches by a huge margin, the fans will be glad that at least their team played internationals as that isn't always the case.
30th Title For The Formidable – Bengal Santosh Trophy Team
Santosh Trophy has always been a special tournament in Indian football given that teams from every nook and corner of the country participate in this competition. The 62nd edition of the tournament contested amongst the various states and public sector units saw hosts Bengal clinch the title.
After A Wait Of 11 Long Years
The Mecca of Indian Football had to wait 11 long years to achieve the amazing feat of winning the tournament for the record number of times - 30.
Boys Doing What Men Failed – India U-23 In Asian Games
The Indian U-23 team led by Sukhwinder Singh achieved a rare feat by storming into the knock out stages of the prestigious Asian Games in Guangzhou, China despite missing out on key players who were part of the senior national camp.
They Are The Future
Despite having star players like Bhaichung Bhutia and Subrata Paul in the 2006 edition of Asian Games, the team was knocked out in the first round on goal difference. But it was the turn for the likes of Jewel Raja, Joaquim Abranches and Jeje Lalpekhlua to show their class.
It was only after 1982 that India entered the knock out stages of the Asian Games thanks to their splendid win over Singapore in the last league match. Sukhwinder Singh’s team however lost 5-0 to eventual champions Japan in the round of 16.
Defending The Title – East Bengal Club
East Bengal will be remembered for their feat of successfully retaining the Federation Cup. Having won the tournament in 2009 under Belgian coach Philipe De Ridder, they went on to beat arch rivals Mohun Bagan in Cuttack to keep the silverware under their custody.
Two In A Row
British coach Trevor James Morgan led the team with Tolgay Ozbey and Robin Singh playing an influential role in the Red and Gold’s road to play the AFC Cup.
Podium Finish – Pune FC
Newly promoted professional football team from the state of Maharasthra, Pune FC has certainly been the surprise package in Indian football for the year 2010. The team from Maharashtra did not have a good start to their season as they were in the bottom half of the table at the end of the first eight matches.
Surprising
But Derrick Parreira’s side showed their class mainly in the second phase of the league finally going on to clinch the third spot in the league leaving behind formidable teams like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Salgaocar.
Reality Check – AFC Inspection
A five member special mission team from AFC came on an almost two week long tour to India where they spent time inspecting whether the Indian clubs are at all ready for the Professional League. Starting off their journey from Kolkata they went on to travel to Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Bangalore, Kerala, Punjab before finally ending their trip in Delhi where they met all the I-League clubs and presented their outcome of the inspection.
Were They Impressed?
The results from the inspection were not surprising as none of the I-League clubs were able to make their mark in the Professional Club licensing criteria. Majority of the clubs even failed to get a green signal for the I-League leave alone AFC Champions League. The clubs were given a deadline to rectify their shortcomings by the 31st of December. The same AFC team is expected to visit India again in February.
Multi Crore Signing – Reliance IMG Deal
In one of the major news hitting Indian football was the successful signing of a deal with IMG-Reliance as it promises a whopping Rs.700 crores to the AIFF for the next 15 years.
The Big Announcement
AIFF had to pay off Rs70 crores compensation to Zee Telefilms as a part of their termination agreement to allow IMG-Reliance to become the new broadcast and marketing rights holder.
Source:Goal.com
