It was a hot afternoon and the school boys had left after their classes. But, some kids, wearing t-shirts with Messi, Ronaldo, Rooney written on their back, were playing football with such utmost enthusiasm that even the highly humid environment of Noida wasn't able to stop them doing so.
With the coaches dividing the children into three groups under different age groups, they were competing in the best possible manner. The kids were playing for the love of it at the playground at the Kothari International School. It was the first football development centre launched in Delhi NCR by Kids out of Home (KOOH) Sports under its newly appointed technical director Paul Masefield on Thursday. "Weather doesn't matter for these enthusiasts. Sports help leading a life. Football is a way of life; it connects people like no other sport. So, these kids who are playing will get to know about the team spirit, team building, fairplay and being competitive in all aspects of life," Masefield told reporters. Masefield, who has played in various clubs in Europe before playing and taking up coaching roles in various centres in Singapore, feels that there are a lot of talent and interest in India for football.
"Ability is here, no doubt about that. It has not been imbibed at younger age. Talents have not been tapped properly. The best way to start teaching basics is a kid who is six or seven year old. That is the perfect age to develop the sporting prowess. Their response has been brilliant. Their attention and willingness to observe coaching sessions is second to none. So, what we are doing is to identify young talent and tap them and give them opportunity to play. The younger kids will benefit more. And the long-term plan is to make a bigger talent pool to assist Indian football and help its national team," the popular football commentator added.
"look at the viewership of last two world cups and the various European leagues, the figure has grown extensively and in fact it has tripled from Germany to South Africa. And the participation in this game will double after 2014 WC. “There is a lot of interest about football especially among the young Indian generation. And it is important to give them a chance to get training in a proper way under good learned coaches," 43-year old Masefield, who will be here for maximum two months, explained.
So, how KOOH will be different than many other European clubs who are venturing into Indian sportsIJ "This is a real grass-root stuff. This is different because of its tried and tested module with cricket, hockey and other sports. We will be opening centres in various cities and towns. This is a module I have seen in Asia. A lot of time, clubs come in. They just take the money and leave. This is a real opportunity for real Indian children," the Englishman reasoned. Masefield feels that if India gets the rights to host the 2017 U-17 WC, it will be a big boost for Indian football. "This association (AIFF) has the strength to bring the WC here. It would be amazing for the country. I remember being in Singapore when Malaysia got the U-21 WC and the whole country just comes alive. I think that's the kind of thing India need to really the boost the popularity of football in the country. Hopefully, they will get it.