FIFA under-17 World Cup can give the world’s most popular sport the much-needed boost
The FIFA under-17 boys World Cup kicks off at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium later today and the coming of this tournament should be a matter of celebration for India. Football is the world’s most popular sport and even in India, the popularity of football leagues, particularly the English Premier league and the Spanish la liga, have been growing in recent years. That is evidenced by the blockbuster sales of branded sportswear of several popular teams. Chances are that if you visit a shopping complex on a weekend, you will find several people wearing jerseys of teams like Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid. In India as well, the establishment of the Indian Super league (ISl) has met with some, albeit stuttering, success. The involvement of a professional sports management firm, some brand-name international stars and celebrity owners, including Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, who is a co-owner of Goa football club, has allowed the ISl to garner some eyeballs. Importantly, the success of Bengaluru football club, which features some of India’s top footballers in the Asians Champions Trophy, is remarkable. That said, it is not as if Indian football is without issues. Perennially underfunded in a country where cricket is the dominant sport, India has been an international also-ran and for many years, the Indian men’s senior team languished at the bottom of the global rankings and fell to 173rd according to the rankings published by FIFA in March 2015. The past two years has, thanks to the efforts of the All India Football Federation by bringing in foreign coaches coupled with the emergence of a new generation of players, seen India shoot up the rankings to break into the global top-100. However, a confused league system, where the ISl and the I-league are both at the ‘top’ tier, although technically the latter remains the premier league, has led to several issues. The AIFF, sponsors and broadcasters all want the leagues to be able to merge, but are unsure how to go about it, with several I-league teams liable to fall by the wayside, including the current champions Aizawl football club. That said, youth player development has been spurred by the development of new teams across the country and this global tournament ought to give that a further boost.
The tournament will likely proceed without a hitch, although it is not very likely that the Indian team will be in the running for the medals. That said, India should take this opportunity to blood these youngsters into the world of football. As and when some of these boys become men and make the senior team, they should be able to use the experience learned into making India rise further up the ranks in global football. India should target a serious tilt at qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in 2026. At the same time, the AIFF should look at Women’s football, a sport that is rising in popularity with stars from champion teams like the US, Sweden and Germany being extremely popular with young girls. India is ranked a creditable 56th in the world in women’s football and the success the women’s team has enjoyed in cricket of late can be replicated in football as well. We look forward to a few weeks of scintillating football.