AIFF has not prepared or maybe never had the foundation(both Infrastructure & game development) to host such a tournament. I have motioned this before that we shouldn't go for such tournaments unless we are really up for it. Some might argue that U-17 WC will lay down foundations etc but I don't see anything good coming out of hosting this world cup.
Real development should come from proper domestic structure unfortunately India doesn't have it now or looks like it will have any soon.
@ashindia It is not that AIFF was desperate in hosting U-17 World Cup. It was Sepp Blatter desire that India should host U-17 WC. Blatter proposed it and then confirmed it with PM Manmohan Singh for support when he visited India in 2012. Benefits include sprucing up and make world class venues ready for Indian Football. So infrastructure wise, it was a good thing to host. We had no ISL at that time. We had plans for Regional Academies-FIFA was using the term "Sleeping Giants" for us. There was a Rob Baan "Lakshya".
But we lost our way in 2 leagues and not having proper youth programme.
Overaged NE men aren't required, they are physically weak and tactically not good enough. If we go overaged, we should get men from Punjab and Kashmir or wherever the average height is not 4 feet 7 inches.
Aizawl FC’s fairytale journey to the final of the recently concluded Federation Cup once again reminded football fans of the rapid progress that Mizoram has made in the game. For the first time ever, a club from the state made a mark in the top tier of Indian football. Even though they were thrashed 5-0 in the final of India’s premier cup competition after getting relegated from the I-League, their neat passing football throughout the season made people sit up and take notice.
While no one was watching, while Goa and West Bengal continued to jockey for supremacy over the last decade, the fulcrum of talent had shifted to the North-Eastern states of India. Neighbouring Sikkim produced the first major star of football not from the states known for their footballing power: “Sikkimese Sniper” Baichung Bhutia, who reached unprecedented heights, became the all-time top scorer in the history of the national football team and the second Indian player to play in a European league.
However, it wasn't Sikkim but Manipur that emerged as the first source of footballers who stormed the national scene. But all of them played for other clubs elsewhere in the country, with the local club structure yet to be established.
A change of guard
The 2002 Santosh Trophy confirmed the shift in Indian football power as Manipur emerged champions, beating powerhouse Kerala. The All Manipur Football Association did a good job in the late 1990s with the help of the Sports Authority of India, and it took them only a few years before the senior team stamped its authority at the national level with the arrival of a numbers of stars.
Players like Somatai Shaiza, Bijen Singh, Renedy Singh, Surkumar Singh, Tomba Singh, L James Singh and Gouramangi Singh carried the torch for the state. But soon afterwards, it was Mizoram that started to take giant strides towards development.
When Rob Baan, the renowned Dutch football coach was appointed technical director of Indian football by the All India Football Federation, he suggested that the pilot project on development should be started in Mizoram, given the large talent pool the state possessed.
However, it was the commencement of the Mizoram Premier League in late 2012 which turned out to be the real game-changer. By then, Shylo Malsawmtluanga (better known as Mama), Lalrindika Ralte, Robert Lalthlamuana and Jeje Lalpekhlua had become household names amongst followers of Indian football.
Then came the eight-team franchise league in the state, offering the local talent an unprecedented chance to showcase their skils. Months before the league started, the state association had roped in ZONET, a local cable network, as a major sponsor of the tournament.
Local heroes, local support
“The main factor behind the success of the league was that it was televised throughout Mizoram from day one. These days, even the neighbouring states follow the action religiously. Also, the players hail from almost all parts of Mizoram, so all the villages have some reason to support a team in the tournament,” Lalnghinglova Hmar, the young secretary of the Mizoram Football Association, told Scroll.in.
Another big factor contributing to the popularity of football in the region has been the absence of fanaticism about cricket. Only two of the seven north-eastern states – Assam and Tripura – took part in the Ranji Trophy this season, and with football gradually coming up as a lucrative career option, the fan following of India’s most beloved sport has dwindled.
The eight clubs participating in the MPL are often supported by the residents of the locality, with contributions running from a few hundred rupees to even six-digit figures. The matches are mostly sold out, with many others remaining glued to their television screens. The competition has become the favourite evening pastime of the state.
In the last few years, the age-group national football teams as well as the senior side have seen a number of Mizo players making the cut. The just-concluded national camp in Guwahati had players like Ralte, David Lalrinmuana, Isaac Vanmalsawma and Jeje Lalpekhlua. The U-19 national team has six players from the state, while the U-16 side has three rookies. The U-14 national side that played against Tajikistan on Thursday had four members from the state and two of them got onto the scoresheet.
Just the beginning
Sadly, though, local clubs have had a rough ride to the national level. None of the North-Eastern clubs have won any major silverware in the last decade, with Shillong Lajong (in the 2009-10 season) and Aizawl FC being the only two sides to make it to the Federation Cup final. Except for Royal Wahingdoh last year, who finished third in the I-League, none of the clubs has posed a serious challenge for the league title.
Another point of concern is that Meghalaya, Mizoram and Manipur are the only three states from the region to have made steady progress on all fronts. While Sikkim has also produced talented footballers like Nirmal Chettri, Sanju Pradhan, Bikash Jairu and Uttam Rai in the last few years, neither the state team nor the clubs have made a mark on the national stage. The situation in Nagaland, Tripura, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh is even worse.
Next season, Meghalaya outfit Shillong Lajong will be the region’s only representative in the I-League, but the relegation of Aizawl FC is unlikely to take any toll on the popularity of the game in the region.
“I think Aizawl FC’s stint in the I-League will only help the game grow in the state. I can’t talk about other regions, but if the other states can come up with a sustainable league structure, I can guarantee that there will be no dearth of talent,” Hmar said.
So, come next season, the terraces will again be filled as the local heroes walk out of the tunnels. While Kolkata, Goa and Bengaluru fight for superiority in club football, the cream of India's future football talent is undoubtedly being nurtured in the North-East.
Comments
AIFF has not prepared or maybe never had the foundation(both Infrastructure & game development) to host such a tournament. I have motioned this before that we shouldn't go for such tournaments unless we are really up for it. Some might argue that U-17 WC will lay down foundations etc but I don't see anything good coming out of hosting this world cup.
Real development should come from proper domestic structure unfortunately India doesn't have it now or looks like it will have any soon.
It is not that AIFF was desperate in hosting U-17 World Cup. It was Sepp Blatter desire that India should host U-17 WC. Blatter proposed it and then confirmed it with PM Manmohan Singh for support when he visited India in 2012. Benefits include sprucing up and make world class venues ready for Indian Football. So infrastructure wise, it was a good thing to host. We had no ISL at that time. We had plans for Regional Academies-FIFA was using the term "Sleeping Giants" for us. There was a Rob Baan "Lakshya".
But we lost our way in 2 leagues and not having proper youth programme.
Move over Bengal and Goa, the North-East is India’s new football powerhouse
With local clubs playing in front of packed houses, India’s north-eastern states are home to what will be tomorrow's best football talent.
Aizawl FC’s fairytale journey to the final of the recently concluded Federation Cup once again reminded football fans of the rapid progress that Mizoram has made in the game. For the first time ever, a club from the state made a mark in the top tier of Indian football. Even though they were thrashed 5-0 in the final of India’s premier cup competition after getting relegated from the I-League, their neat passing football throughout the season made people sit up and take notice.
While no one was watching, while Goa and West Bengal continued to jockey for supremacy over the last decade, the fulcrum of talent had shifted to the North-Eastern states of India. Neighbouring Sikkim produced the first major star of football not from the states known for their footballing power: “Sikkimese Sniper” Baichung Bhutia, who reached unprecedented heights, became the all-time top scorer in the history of the national football team and the second Indian player to play in a European league.
However, it wasn't Sikkim but Manipur that emerged as the first source of footballers who stormed the national scene. But all of them played for other clubs elsewhere in the country, with the local club structure yet to be established.
A change of guard
The 2002 Santosh Trophy confirmed the shift in Indian football power as Manipur emerged champions, beating powerhouse Kerala. The All Manipur Football Association did a good job in the late 1990s with the help of the Sports Authority of India, and it took them only a few years before the senior team stamped its authority at the national level with the arrival of a numbers of stars.
Players like Somatai Shaiza, Bijen Singh, Renedy Singh, Surkumar Singh, Tomba Singh, L James Singh and Gouramangi Singh carried the torch for the state. But soon afterwards, it was Mizoram that started to take giant strides towards development.
When Rob Baan, the renowned Dutch football coach was appointed technical director of Indian football by the All India Football Federation, he suggested that the pilot project on development should be started in Mizoram, given the large talent pool the state possessed.
However, it was the commencement of the Mizoram Premier League in late 2012 which turned out to be the real game-changer. By then, Shylo Malsawmtluanga (better known as Mama), Lalrindika Ralte, Robert Lalthlamuana and Jeje Lalpekhlua had become household names amongst followers of Indian football.
Then came the eight-team franchise league in the state, offering the local talent an unprecedented chance to showcase their skils. Months before the league started, the state association had roped in ZONET, a local cable network, as a major sponsor of the tournament.
Local heroes, local support
“The main factor behind the success of the league was that it was televised throughout Mizoram from day one. These days, even the neighbouring states follow the action religiously. Also, the players hail from almost all parts of Mizoram, so all the villages have some reason to support a team in the tournament,” Lalnghinglova Hmar, the young secretary of the Mizoram Football Association, told Scroll.in.
Another big factor contributing to the popularity of football in the region has been the absence of fanaticism about cricket. Only two of the seven north-eastern states – Assam and Tripura – took part in the Ranji Trophy this season, and with football gradually coming up as a lucrative career option, the fan following of India’s most beloved sport has dwindled.
The eight clubs participating in the MPL are often supported by the residents of the locality, with contributions running from a few hundred rupees to even six-digit figures. The matches are mostly sold out, with many others remaining glued to their television screens. The competition has become the favourite evening pastime of the state.
In the last few years, the age-group national football teams as well as the senior side have seen a number of Mizo players making the cut. The just-concluded national camp in Guwahati had players like Ralte, David Lalrinmuana, Isaac Vanmalsawma and Jeje Lalpekhlua. The U-19 national team has six players from the state, while the U-16 side has three rookies. The U-14 national side that played against Tajikistan on Thursday had four members from the state and two of them got onto the scoresheet.
Just the beginning
Sadly, though, local clubs have had a rough ride to the national level. None of the North-Eastern clubs have won any major silverware in the last decade, with Shillong Lajong (in the 2009-10 season) and Aizawl FC being the only two sides to make it to the Federation Cup final. Except for Royal Wahingdoh last year, who finished third in the I-League, none of the clubs has posed a serious challenge for the league title.
Another point of concern is that Meghalaya, Mizoram and Manipur are the only three states from the region to have made steady progress on all fronts. While Sikkim has also produced talented footballers like Nirmal Chettri, Sanju Pradhan, Bikash Jairu and Uttam Rai in the last few years, neither the state team nor the clubs have made a mark on the national stage. The situation in Nagaland, Tripura, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh is even worse.
Next season, Meghalaya outfit Shillong Lajong will be the region’s only representative in the I-League, but the relegation of Aizawl FC is unlikely to take any toll on the popularity of the game in the region.
“I think Aizawl FC’s stint in the I-League will only help the game grow in the state. I can’t talk about other regions, but if the other states can come up with a sustainable league structure, I can guarantee that there will be no dearth of talent,” Hmar said.
So, come next season, the terraces will again be filled as the local heroes walk out of the tunnels. While Kolkata, Goa and Bengaluru fight for superiority in club football, the cream of India's future football talent is undoubtedly being nurtured in the North-East.