WOW! Milan did it in Italy and got a few responses going. An entire population of ManU fans r now hailing the English champs and in a short while im sure a bigger flurry will be caused by Barca. Wondering when we, players, football fans, followers and the miniature flag bearers of football in India will be equally ecstatic about our own league. The biggest contributor to the success of these leagues and of the level of football as a result, apart from great marketing, is the immense support these leagues enjoy from their own nationals. Citizens who take great pride and interest in their own country's clubs and quite evidently their own national side. Tell me, how many of you can name the reserves of the English national side or even the people who warm the Spanish bench. I am sure there are quite a number of you who can. I'm also sure there are quite a few who will even know which muscle of which player has been damaged in a tackle over the weekend and if he will recover in time for a crucial fixture. Kudos to you! And no, i mean no sarcasm. I am honestly put to shame in the face of such passion. But I, more gravely, put myself to shame when I cant name the first 16 of my own National side. No. This is not one of those write ups which screams, "We need to do something. Let us make a change. We are the future." and blah blah.
All I'm doing is announcing, just like you who scream out about how avid a supporter you are of Manchester United or Arsenal or how your life will end if Barcelona loses Messi and Xavi. I am announcing I will more keenly follow my national side and don the jersey of Dempo/Pune F.c/Bagan with equal pride. I will post, comment and tweet with equal fury my frustration or delight, for the sole purpose of sharing, reaching out, 'networking' with the miniscule number of like minded idiots out there who care about Indian clubs and the few who are aware that a National team exist which actually does pretty well in Asia yet struggles for recognition, almost always swimming against the tide every step of the way. I will express disgust at every loss and look at every promising youngster with anticipation. Hoping that this is the much awaited next generation who can keep up with the pace and advances in the game adopted by teams overseas. Hoping that when "Indian Football" is mentioned a few more credible names crop up apart from an aging Bhaichung Bhutia, who I think should have hung his boots a long time back. Yes. I am firstly mad enough to support a sport in India which is not any form of Cricket and which does not have Mr. Sachin Tendulkar involved and I'm even more insane to hope that there might be a few more like me.
Here s little info I stumbled on, the J-league was formed in '92 with the sole aim of improving the Japanese national sides performance, identify and nurture talent at grass root level and improve their level of play. It is today the only league in Asia to be rated 'A' by AFC and boy what ground Japanese football has covered over this span. Japan is already considered a global powerhouse and a Japanese player pipped the best from around the world (Including THE Martha from Brazil) to take home top FIFA honours recently.
The I-league, started in 2007, is nowhere close. Well it is showing signs of progress steadily since inception. Far too "steadily" frankly, but its movement forward nevertheless. There are more and more European clubs looking towards India as a beneficial avenue to invest time and effort. To my relief there are more youth academies today affiliated with or directly under the purview of clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal and/or Barcelona than mere pubs and cafe's. Kolkatta's new celebrity league, if managed and marketed properly, is definitely poised to be a crowd puller. Bayern Munich's already made its visit for the Audi Football Summit in the same city and Barcelona is on its way. Argentina and Uruguay played a friendly earlier this year too. The point is there is interest galore shown by clubs and FIFA alike. All the sport needs now is for us football fanatics to pass the baton around and get as many footballers to become more aware of who they really are and where they come from. Of the whos' and whats' of their own I-League. Turn up and cheer in the same numbers when JEJE, Raju or Gourmangi Singh don India's Blue as they did to see Bhaichung wave goodbye.
In conclusion, all im saying if I d fake sickness to miss work and watch an El Classico or stay up till two in the morning to watch a Champions League fixture I am going to do the same when Pune FC plays Dempo SC or India play an Olympic qualifier. I will hone in me the same passion for the leagues in my own country as an Englishman has for the EPL, or a German for the Bundesliga.
For me, its Wada Paav over fish n chips!
