Come on India, Let’s Football!

So, the new season of Indian Super League (ISL) has commenced. In all 10 teams are fighting it out for supremacy in the only men’s professional football league in India which will see a total of 95 matches over a period of 4 months. The organisers are leaving no stone unturned to make the league a grand success. But, are we doing enough for the game? Are we taking footballers, both Indians and foreigners who sweat it out for glory, over our heads like we take international cricketers? Are we celebrating the goals scored by the footballers as we erupt in joy after a batsman hits four and six or a bowler claims a wicket? Are we analyzing each game like we do after every cricket match? Or Simply, how many of us know the names of teams and players who are sprinting down the football field for that one precious moment, of netting the goal?

Even media seems to be not promoting the game at par with the Gentleman’s Game. This despite the fact that football or soccer is played in almost each and every country (200 approx) in the world while cricket is being played by number of countries that can be counted on fingertips along with some associate countries. Even the duration of a soccer game is much lesser than cricket (90 minutes as compared to 360 minutes). Unlike cricket, which is played in almost every lane of the country, we will find soccer being played in certain pockets which has been die-hard enthusiasts of this game. The most interesting part is we never get emotional when a soccer player retires or hangs his boot as against a cricketer bidding adieu to the game. Neither we give ‘demi God’ status to any footballer, nor we run documentaries and make movies on any of them. So much so that even when the ‘God of Football’ comes to the City of Joy, we don’t carry big interviews of him or make him Guest Editor. In fact, many of us remain unaware of the short yet big man’s arrival to India and he waiving his ‘hand of God’. We don’t do anything of this sort and keep on saying that the game is not getting its due in India as we are not promoting it in a better way and are not providing any infrastructure to increase the game’s popularity. So what do we do to give football the status of the Gentleman’s Game? The answer to this question should be discussed and debated to arrive at the best conclusion. Come on India, Let’s Football!

Is Gentleman’s Game losing its colour?

There was a time when every cricketer dreamt of wearing the whites and represent the country internationally. Though the game is played in whites only, but the aura of wearing whites with one’s cricket board’s emblem is completely different. The likes of Sir Don Bradman, Sir Gary Sobers, Sir Viv Richards, Ajit Wadekar, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, MAK Pataudi, Gundappa Vishwanath and famous spin quartet did their country proud by making the white a colour of dedication, determination and discipline. Our own Kapil Dev even went on to win the World Cup in whites making it the most memorable event for India. Not only India, but cricketers from across the world showed a sense of pride on wearing the whites. So much so that the colour became a religion globally which cricketer from every country admired. Slowly and steady the white seems to have lost its sheen. With coloured clothing coming into picture the teams are now being referred to as Blue Brigade, Baggy Greens, Black Caps, Windies Maroons, Proteas Greens and so on. The colour representing each country also changed the way the players looked at the game. From displaying exemplary technique to hitting the ball only after reading the line and playing with a straight bat, the cricketers’ approach towards the game has seen a big change. Today, they have become more aggressive and looking to hit each and every ball without paying much attention to the line the bowler is delivering. Constantly keeping the scoreboard ticking has become of prime importance since every team wishes to score as many runs as it can to pose a tough challenge for the opponent. The Gentleman’s Game has become a power-packed game with every player displaying only the emotion of aggression. It is not that the players are technically sound, but there technique is more to do with hunger for runs than holding on to the wicket. Aggression has always been synonymous with sportspersons world over since ages. It is absolutely right to show anger in quest for sporting success. But, at the same time discipline is also important. The cricketers playing 50-over or 20-over match should have disciplined aggression to succeed. This aggression has been keyword in matches between India-Pakistan, South Africa-West Indies, Australia-England etc. The famous Bodyline series was also an act of aggression that shook the world cricket. We need to once again embrace that culture to keep the Test cricket alive. This will help keep whites as the preferred colour. While most ‘Test-playing’ nations play around 10 Test matches in a cricketing year, the number of ODIs and T20s have risen and the ‘white-coloured gentlemen’ are mostly seen in the colour of their country. If the whites replace colours in the future, then it will be apt to call these countries as ‘Test-playing’ nations.

Scripting sporting success comprehensively!

Lot is being said, written and debated over the ‘sorry’ plight of Indian sports and why sportspersons from our country were not able to make a mark for themselves internationally. Considered the epitome of sporting success, if a player fails to achieve success globally, then his talent or achievement is considered as ‘not up to the mark’.

It is not that Indians have not reached the peak of international success in past. From ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh to hockey wizard Major Dhyanchand to ‘Payyoli Express’ PT Usha to chess master Vishwanathan Anand, all were able to carve a niche for themselves in the sporting arena. And who can forget our very own cricketers? From Kapil’s Devils to Dada’s Warriors to Dhoni’s Patriots, all were able to force the world to take cognizance of their talent and rule the Gentleman’s Game. Even the recent form of new-look Kohli’s team India is exceptional in all the formats of the game. The three A’s --aggression, agility and audacity-- shown by this team is outstanding. These qualities can also be seen the current Indian hockey team that became Asian champions as also in PV Sindhu and Kidambi Shrikant, the shuttlers par excellence. Sindhu and Shrikant’s prowess on the court is same as being displayed by their Chinese, Korean, Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts. Sindhu in particular has achieved level of success which is unmatched. So much so that she has overpowered Saina Nehwal’s accomplishment. Coming to our national game of hockey, the current Indian men’s and women’s teams have been displaying the stick work as never before. Both the teams seem to be playing the best hockey of their life and giving all they can in 70 minutes. The country is even tasting success in soccer, basketball, table tennis, shooting, archery et all. And mind you, these athletes are not ruing about the ‘poor and not up to the mark’ infrastructure provided to them, but just concentrating on improving their skills and temperament. Even the sports administrators who had earlier formed a ‘parallel powerhouse’ and criticized every move of the ‘people in power’ seem to have swallowed the pill of silence. The main purpose behind penning down these thoughts is to highlight the strength of Indian sports and give the world a point to ponder before writing or expressing any negative sentiments about the country’s sporting culture. The stupendous success is the result of sweat that our sportspersons are pouring on the court or the field. The aim is only to keep the Indian tricolor high and express pride in the national anthem played before commencement of any international game. So world, watch the Blue Brigade and be ready for surprises!