2015 SAFF U16 Championship

dhritiman7 · August 2015

When a football team is not gifted with natural talents or don't have luxury to select best players from huge pool there are two ways to improve -

1. Train them with world class facilities from very early age

2. Play with better opponent and improve

First point is still under progress. And point no 2 doesn't comply with playing weaker team of better footballing country. Remember this concept was introduced by Bob Houghton for a purpose. It is not applicable for these days. Now best option to play with better opponent is to let U-14, U-16, U-18 boys play in a senior league. (May be for U-14 there would be a riskof physical mismatch, will come to this point). Automatically formations, competitiveness, match reading, maturity level will improve and as they will still remain young after playing two or three years in a senior league and can improve footballing skills too. I would love to see how Atletico Juniors players mature after two years of CFL 3rd division (not considering a promotion on first attempt).

Now what sort of training these guys underwent no one knows, I had seen Scot as Combodia manager and was nothing to mention about it. They have not played any better side I am sure too. So don't blame them if they have lost a match. I have seen Indian U-19 team with Sunil Chettri, Jerry Jirsangha, Subhasis Roychwdhury, Marlanki, Tulunga (was playing as a senior), Prashant Jaggi, Debabrata Roy went down to Pakistan in SAFF Games.

So AIFF needs to re introduce Arrows. Let U-19 side play in I league and U-16 (mixed with U-14) play in I league 2 or CFL first division / GFL. and instead of fancy European tour we need to face stronger Asian opponents at least in age group level. May not be Japan or Korea but must be with Uzbekistan, Qatar sort of teams.

Until we see these changes can't expect much from them.

archak · August 2015

First thing I would propose is to integrate the aadhar card to a properly maintained database of football players. Any new entry has to give a biometric check, since the biometrics don't change after 5, to determine whether the player has registered earlier or not.

footydip · August 2015

early registration of a player is very much needed.

The real AG · August 2015

An Indian U19 team in the I-League is perhaps a little too young. I am all for having a young Indian team in the I-league, maybe an U23 team?

Also, the AIFF EA constantly brings younger players into their U19 team I think. I do not know how exactly they recruit their players, they have added 2 players from Pune's U19 team for this season (among many others for sure) - Sukhdev Patil and Ashique Kuruniyan, and Vinit Rai from Dempo. I have definitely heard of Loken Meitei and Thakima Ralte, but can't remember where they have joined from?

gaffertape · August 2015

Thakima Ralte from Aizawl FC and Loken Meitei from a Shillong club...

Sukhdev Patil is way way overage for U-19 , he was at DSK B team in 2012-13 then went to PFC U-17 !! then moved to AIFF U-19 because dickhead Rogerio Ramos thinks he might grow in a few years...

X_X