Visiting Kerala Before Football World Cup Finals

My visit to Kerala in the month of May 2010 was a family affair but I ended up experiencing the football fever in Kerala the most. It is a known fact that Kerala is one of the state in India which has great football followers. But the sad part is that cricket is slowly creeping into the psyche of the youngsters of Kerala like a slow poison. It was indeed disheartening to see the fields in Kerala being thronged by people playing cricket. There was a time when I could not see any single field with people playing cricket. Time has changed, the imperialism of cricket has reached Kerala too and it is very painstaking to say that there will be still more followers of cricket in the coming time with the advent of IPL Kochi. In spite of this, I was happy that even today the fields at many places in Kerala have the goal post made by supari trees, players donning their skills in the makeshift ground on the field and playgrounds still having the compulsory iron goal post at each end. During my stay in the three districts of Kerala namely Thrissur, Ernakulam and Malappuram, I could see this hoarding made by the community clubs of that village exhibiting their support to mostly either Brazil or Argentina.

Since I knew it happens in Kerala just before the start of the Football World Cup, I was eagerly observing all these hoardings. I never had the opportunity to be in Kerala during the World Cup month. I wonder what would be the football waves at that time in Kerala more particularly when teams like Brazil and Argentina scores a goal or win a match. If you have any input on it, I would be more than happy to know about it. I believe such would be the football fever in all the districts of Kerala. In my knowledge, I have not known any state in India where they put hoarding and stuff in praise for their supporting team. If it would be, then it would be in some villages but not throughout all the villages and community clubs like in Kerala. I wish that I stay back in Kerala till the Football World Cup but I have my priorities and responsibilities back in my Mumbai.

During my stay in Kerala for 12 days, I had the opportunity to coach boys who have enrolled for summer camp in one of the village of Irinjalakuda of Thrissur District. Imade the most of this occasion and tried in establishing the interest in football and informed them about the history of Indian football and what should be their focus as afootballer.

On a visit to the Thrissur District Football Stadium, I happened to meet Mr. Mohan,committee member of Thrissur District Football Association, Former National Referee(AIFF) and we discussed about the state of football in Kerala and the pros and cons of having the much talked about 7-a-side football tournaments of Kerala. According to Mr.Mohan, the sevens football tournament is actually diminishing the quality of football wherein the youngster for some meagre amount they risk injury as well as they degrade their development. There was also this under 19 state team selected 30 probables for under 19 nationals to be held in Kolkatta. He praised the state initiative in not sending any overage players and having very strict selection criteria with respect to age. This one thing I really lauded and wished that it is implemented at all levels and stages in IndianFootball.

It was so enthralling to look this Thrissur District Football Ground as in the one corner of the ground there was these lads of district summer football camp for under14 boys and girls, at one corner there was one division club of Thrissur conducting its selection trial and practice and in the center was the under 19 state selection going on.Mr. Mohan during the conversation also informed that on a yearly basis there are lotsof youngsters especially from Thrissur who get signed and plays for various clubs inMumbai and also Akbar Travel Football Club, elite division club of MDFA, conducts its selection camp in Thrissur only. In Mumbai, I feel there is quantity in terms of 300 plus clubs being enrolled with MDFAbut quality is not to be seen and also the following with respect to state like Kerala is diminutive.

BLACK DAY FOR MUMBAI FOOTBALL

The news of Mahindra United FC, the powerhouse of Mumbai football, disbanding the team got each of us by surprise on Saturday morning through the newspapers. The Mahindra United management took this decision on Thursday itself and disseminated the news to the media on Friday. As everyone would see Mahindra United going the way of Mumbai teams like Tata’s and Mafatlal’s who were once the giant club of Mumbai city during 60s, 70s and 80s, it is really shocking and very sad for mobilization of football in Mumbai. I was very proud that Mumbai has three clubs representing I-league and was foreseeing a shift of footballing waves from the East to the West. I never thought that Mahindra would close shop, as I believe that Mahindra United is the face of football in Mumbai and had a long way to go and take along Mumbai as a footballing city. The other two clubs of Mumbai, Air India and Mumbai FC, are like images on the sand which would be swept away by sea water. These clubs fate hang in the hands of the management of the respective clubs. As Yousuf Ansari, former Indian player and Manager of Air India, rightly pointed out that Mumbai is going Hyderabad and Bangalore way. Hyderabad and Bangalore were once a football player’s dream city in the 50s, 60s and 70s and gradually it had a slow end to the football aficionado.
I am happy that by disbanding the club the Mahindra management is not annihilating itself from football completely. Their social initiative for sports and especially for football in the way of supporting and nurturing young talents through school football is truly appreciable. Encouragement of football should begin at school level and school should make it a point to develop, nurture these homegrown talents by having full time coaching system, matches and tournaments. I hope the Mahindra United management acts on their words and take it to the desired destination.

I was thinking to myself what it would be that provoked the management to take such drastic decision. The management has come with great excuses or reasoning per se, but I think at the end of the day it comes down to money. In India, no football clubs earn from the clubs establishment and activities. It may be because of lack of corporate support, media attention, followers, advertisement and publicity etc. Here, I would like to mention that AIFF has a role to play. AIFF should come up with concepts, ideas, laws, rules were each club earn as well as get better media attention and publicity and traditional clubs like Mahindra just don’t shut the shop at once. It is really painful to know that India being one of the upcoming economies, none of our football club have met the eligibility criteria laid down by AFC and now AFC has to pull up the socks of these clubs and support them financially too for this endeavour. Having said that my suggestion to the management of Mahindra United is to have an auction of the club and give it a better publicity. I believe they would be financially benefitted and the legacy lives on.

The next question that comes to mind is “do Mumbai deserves such disinclination?” I would say yes. I won’t like to blame anyone, but yes as a footballer and a follower, we people rarely visits our so called shambled Cooperage football stadium to watch an I-league match. It is really disheartening that people from cities like Pune and Shillong have proved their liking and following of football by averaging an audience of 5000 to 8000 per match and cheering for their respective teams far better than people from Mumbai. These cities are the new entrants in the Indian football scene and Mumbai has a great past as far as Indian football is concerned. Just imagine these scene where there is an I-league match being scheduled in Coooperage and a large scale publicity of this match by way of hoardings, newspapers, magazines, FM stations, internet, merchandising, celebrity messages, dissemination of tickets by way of gifts and prizes through contests had been done and on the given day the stadium is packed to the brink. In such situations, do you think any club would disband the team, the corporate would not like to be part of this celebration, the players won’t perform to their best and prove their melee, there won’t be growth and development of football. Now who is to blame for not having such scenario? Yes, of course AIFF and WIFA for not publicizing the event, the club themselves for not mobilising people to come to the event, and last but not the least we footballers and followers for giving a cold shoulder to this event. We can go on and on talking about European football and World football but there is no much we have to say about our domestic circuit. There would be obvious good reasons of ourselves for not doing so but at the end of the day what we would see is that leaders like Mahindra United disbanding the team and we get such shocking news and we grief about it.

I would like to know your views on it.

INDIA WON THE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP

You might be shocked, surprised, dismayed, pinching yourself after hearing this news that India won the Football World Championship. Let me wake you up from your flight of fancy and tell you "this is indeed the truth." Believe it or not, India had won the inaugural Deloitte Street Child World Championship 2010 in Durban, South Africa by beating Tanzania 1-0 in the final on March 23rd 2010. I know it would be a great utopia when India would at least qualify for the finals of FIFA World Cup.

The Deloitte Street Child World Cup is a global partnership led by Amos Trust. The Consortium for Street Children, Street Action, Momentum Arts, Global Goals, and Child Rights Information Network are providing key expertise and support. The event was hosted in Durban by Umthombo Street Children and the Durban University of Technology. Many famous personalities endorsed this initiative such as Sir Alex Ferguson, David Beckham, Theo Walcott, Andriy Shevchenko, etc.

There were total of eight participating nations in this first edition. The teams were Action for Brazil’s Children; Casa Alianza, Nicaragua; De Paul International, Ukraine; A network of partners, Philippines; Khalsa Football Academy and their Punjab based partners, India; Koto, Vietnam (catering); and Caretakers of the Environment (Tanzania). The main aim was to launch a new call for street children’s basic rights to be respected.

The team India was represented by YFC Rurka Kalan and the Khalsa Football Academy. The tournament rules stated that a girl representative should be included in all the teams. Because YFC Rurka Kalan do not at present provide soccer initiatives and development work for girls, in order to stay in the sprit of the game The KFA’s Global network partnered up with New West secondary school who provided three Indian girls with no experience in football to make up the team.

The first game for India was against the host, South Africa, whom they beat 4-0. The second game India lost to Nicaragua by 0-1. The third game India beat Ukraine by a thumping goal margin of 8-0. In the Semi-Final, India played against England which India won by 3-1. In the finals, India met Tanzanaia whom the beat 1-0 by a goal from Manpreet Singh via penalty kick.

THE SQUAD
Team Management
Bal Singh, Rupinder Bahel, Gurmangal

Indian Coach
Kulwant Singh

Players
Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Kalia, Gaurav Kumar, Narinderjit Singh, Amritpal Singh, Kulvir Singh, Jatinder Singh, Ramandip Kumar, Manpreet Kumar, Alareece Gisele Gaffoor, Leah Naidoo, Shrimal Umichand.

Team India and the squad made history by lifting the trophy of Deloitte Street Child Football World Cup. Now this World Cup will be a usual event in the FIFA Football Calendar to be played before any FIFA World Cup and to be hosted by the same FIFA World Cup host nation. We in India including the football fraternity did not have an inkling of such event being played as there was no much media attention. But Deloitte along with Amos Trust did try to spread this awareness in India by rallying on a rickshaw and disseminating the message throughout India.
The Indian Consulate General in South Africa, Mr. Anil Sharan met the Indian team at The Moses Mabhida Stadium where Potugual will play Brazil in the FIFA World Cup. The venue was used to provide a platform for youngsters to voice there concerns. Anil was so impressed with Team Indias victory he invited the team to the Indian General HeadQuarters and presented the team with gifts and dinner.

Even after winning the Street Child Football World Championship by India, there was no much hullabaloo by any section of the media. Such big achievement met with an almost inanimate publicity. Neither the Government nor the NGO applauded this victory in any form, whereas, in Philippines the team was given a VIP reception. India albeit winning the trophy has to experience a subdued welcome. I believe if this Team India would have been endorsed by some famous personalities then this achievement would have been known by most of us who as of now get this news as a shock of their life.

Sir Alex’s letter to Deloitte Street Child World Champions
Football is a sport like no other. Throw down a football on a dusty roadside in Brazil or a parched pitch in Africa and see what happens. At once, players are united in the magic of the game no matter what their colour, creed or class.
Of course at the top level of the game, there are great rewards and great trophies to be won. But we should never ever forget the grassroots of the game, nor overlook the ability of football to help deliver social change and progress. It is not just about the superstars and the teams and players known the world over. It is about what sport can do to raise people’s hopes and expectations.
All eyes will be on the World Cup in South Africa. But I am delighted the country has already staged another World Cup – the inaugural Street Child World Cup. I was pleased to be able to support the project when it was first launched, and I am thrilled that it has gone so well. My heartfelt congratulations to India for winning.
But I believe everyone who has been in Durban will have learned something about themselves, about the world, and about the role of football as a force for good.
Best wishes,
Alex Ferguson

APPEAL

I request the Indian Government, NGOs, State Governments to at least recognize this achievement of these brave warriors who from nowhere has waived the victorious Indian flag on the foreign soil and made all our Indians proud. By this victory, our footballers also announced to the world that we Indians are not just sleeping giants but a great force knocking on World Football.

I wish these youngsters a great future and also wish them to be the ambassadors for the upliftment of the street children’s of India.