Indian Football looking for a boost from the ISL
ISL to give lift to Indian football?
The ISL (Indian Super League) is in the limelight now, big names all over the country are interested in investing for buying the proposed eight teams who are going to participate in the inaugural edition of the ISL. Former captain of the Indian Cricket team Sourav Ganguly is keen to buy the Kolkata franchise and he has also tied up with officials of Athletico Madrid and will together put the bid for the team.
Sachin Tendulkar has shown interest in the Kochi based team. Meanwhile, Bollywood superstars like Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan have shown an interest in the Mumbai franchise. Shah Rukh Khan has opted for the Delhi team and John Abraham is interested in the Guwahati based team.
Thierry Henry, Micheal Owen and Hernan Crespo are the big names who are supposed to play in the first edition of the ISL,though they have not yet confirmed their participation in the League.The big question arises whether it will help Indian football or not. India is currently ranked 152 according to the latest FIFA rankings.
It is known that people in some parts of India are very passionate about the game i.e. places like Kolkata, Goa and the North-East part of India which have huge fan following for the game. But Indian football has lacked support from the whole country as a result of which its quality has suffered; also the huge craze for Cricket in India has played its part in diverting attention from football.
India is considered to potentially be a giant in World football, mainly because of its strength in numbers and it has the potential to progress on the world stage. India has a quite memorable past when they ended up fourth in the Olympics back in 1952, which was held in Helsinki. India also qualified for the Football World Cup back in 1950, but technical and financial problems barred them from taking part in the competition.
Kolkata and Goa have been the Mecca of Indian football since the time football made its way to India. Mohun Bagan AC, East Bengal FC, Mohammedan Sporting Club are Kolkata’s three major clubs and have a huge fan following. A match between arch rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal is probably the biggest show in Indian football; everyone waits for the Derby and it is also known worldwide for its importance and the history behind the rivalry between the two clubs
During the time of P.K.Banerjee and Chuni Goswami, football in India bloomed like anything, but as the years progressed, the quality, craze and involvement of the Nation in the most popular sport of the world went down. Some of the current Indian players have also played for foreign teams. Sunil Chetri has played in the MLS (Major League Soccer) for Kansas City and also for the second division team of Sporting Lisbon. Subrata Paul is currently playing for the Danish club FC Vestsjaelland. Bhaichung Bhutia has been a part of many football invitationals along with world football stalwarts.
The Indian Premier League has been a huge hit in India and has added to the craze for cricket in India. India has also won the bid to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017, which will definitely help Indian Football. Now, It’s time for us to wait and watch whether the ISL has a favorable impact on Indian Football or not.