It is hard to imagine that India, a country of over billion people, is not part of an event that has attracted viewers from across the world. We have failed to make an impact in the sport of football. We are not even on the map. Currently placed at 146 th in the FIFA rankings, the future doesn’t look too bright either. The last time we qualified for the World Cup was in 1950. As the story goes, the players pulled out of the competition because they weren’t allowed to play barefoot. Now, with the tournament going on in Brazil and to see a fair share of Indian fans supporting other countries, donning jerseys of different nations, evokes variety of emotions. Most of us know the reasons why we have failed to produce world class football players. For those who don’t (I don’t think you are interested in knowing anyways). Still, these are some of the very basic reasons: Poor infrastructure – Just look at India football stadiums. It lacks basic amenities. Grounds ...
Independent analysis of Indian public policy, digital life, democracy and issues affecting ordinary citizens.