Five reasons for India's 2018 World Cup qualifying debacle

India is not a nation known for its prowess in football, and that is an accepted fact among the general public. However, the entire country was shocked after India’s fifth straight defeat which left them languishing at the bottom of their Group D in the World Cup Qualifiers, with a grand total of zero points and a negative goal difference of 9.Simply put, qualification hopes for Russia 2018 are over.In this slideshow, we will analyze a few reasons for this debacle.

#1 Grassroots

Manchester United’s fabled Class of ’92 and Barcelona’s La Masia graduates who helped them lift the treble in 2009 are just two of many shining examples of the dividends that football academies has reaped. The outrageous fees top clubs pay for teenagers (read Martin Odegaard and Anthony Martial) prove that world-class footballers have to be developed at a very early age.

There are very few sports where exceptional talent has come from sportspersons who take to that game at a comparatively later age, say after 12-13 years of age.

Slowly, players and administration alike have shifted their focus to the grassroots, especially since the onset of the Indian Super League. However, apart from Kolkata and Goa, most states have awareness programs for merely 3-4 days a year. These might help stir up interest and encourage a healthy, active lifestyle, but they will not help in developing kids into world-class talent that we need.

More concerted efforts along the lines of our European counterparts are the need of the hour.