This is the upshot of the debate on ‘Mission Rank 100
in Soccer: Myth or Reality?’ held here today on Day 2 of ‘TURF
2012, FICCI’s 4th Global Sports Summit’.
While it has long been debated that the FIFA ranking system
is complicated; that there is a huge difference in points awarded to teams
ranking 1 to 100 and those above it. The panelists, however, today urged the
football federation and other associations to find ways to improve India ’s FIFA
ranking instead of finding flaws with the system.
It was suggested that a Master Plan for Football World Cup
2022 prepared by Mr. Robert Baan, Technical Director, All India Football
Federation, should be implemented by all stakeholders. The game needs not
just professionals but entrepreneurs as well who can devise innovative methods
and expand India ’s
horizons.
The session moderator Mr. Sukhvinder Singh, Managing
Director, Libero Sports India, raised pertinent questions such as: What
are the technical and administrative challenges for the football associations
and federation?; How can the industry and corporate world support the game to
improve its world ranking?; Is the Indian football team playing the right
game?; And what is needed today for Indian football to flourish – professionals
or entrepreneurs?
Indian football requires continued foreign investment both
technical and financial to come its way if it is to realize its full potential.
Player scouting and development, tactical coaching expertise and infrastructure
creation (stadiums, training facilities etc.) are all attractive areas that
foreign entities can invest in to build their global network, grow their brand
in one of the world’s largest countries and eventually generate an economic
return on their investment.
The last few years have seen a massive growth in viewership
figures for football in India ,
with over 20 million Indians watching the FIFA World Cup in 2010, an increase
of over 35 per cent over the last edition in 2006.
• The number of foreign leagues Indian viewers are
exposed to have increased, with the advent of football heavy television
channels like TEN Action helping cater to the growing demand for football
consumption.
• There is a renewed determination from the Indian
government to improve the state of football in the country, with AIFF proposals
like hosting the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in India getting unprecedented
support.
• An astounding 86 per cent of young Indians between
the ages of 10 and 15 cited football as their sport of choice in a recent
survey.
Armed with a new generation exponentially more interested in
the sport and brimming with talent, the country is well poised to take
advantage of this foreign investment while offering a host of benefits to the
investor.
“We should focus on playing quality games and winning
matches to move up the ladder in the FIFA ranking. This can be achieved only
with quality teams, which will be formed when we will have more clubs and more
professional players to choose from. The young players lack organized
competition, coaching and techniques. We must work on the players at the grass
root level and understand what playing style is better suited for the Indian
players,” said Mr. Baan.
Mr. Alberto Colaco, Secretary General, South Asian Football
Federation,opined that “It is not just enough to play friendly matches but
essential to play games which will be considered for FIFA ranking and we must
aim to win thosematches. For instance, we won the match against Cameroon , a
high ranking FIFA team, but could not garner points as the match was never
considered for FIFA rankings. Hence, we must know all the parameters that need
to be fulfilled in this regard and not lose out on any opportunity.”
“Another challenge for us to generate funds for organizing
matches, developing and coaching of footballers. The team must perform well so
that the game can attract investments from the industry and corporate sector.
Now the eyes are on the upcoming Under 17 World Cup in 2017, if we are able to
put a decent performance, then it will open the door for investors,” he added.
Mr. Wasim Basir, Director-IMC, Coca-Cola India , pointed
out that the corporate sector only invests in a project or game when it is
assured that in future the investment will bring in returns. Coca-Cola and
Panasonic have realized the worth of the game but to rope in other investors
the teams have to be play much better and instill confidence in the corporate
entities. The need is to groom the talent and create great
infrastructure, stadiums and provide quality training to build strong leagues
which will result in setting up a strong and competent national team.”
Mr. Sunando Dhar, CEO, I-League, said, “Our
infrastructure does not support players well. For instance, if the team needs
to play a match in Sikkim ,
then after taking a flight to Sikkim
they have to again travel five hours on the road. This takes a toll on the
players. It was seen that players were lacking fitness in the game against Singapore .”
The players now have to adapt themselves to play for
I-League on weekends and FIFA on weekdays. Players are also coming from private
academies such as TATA football academy. New developments and patterns are
emerging in the game and the players have to adjust and adapt to perform
better, he stated.
A FICCI Press release
No comments:
Post a Comment