Football in India
Football is one of India's most popular sports, next to cricket. It is a very popular sport in states like West Bengal, Goa, Kerala and the entire North-East India, especially Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim.
Having been Asian champions twice, the standard of Indian football has degraded due to a lack of investment and proper planning. While standards of other Asian nations in which football is the most popular sport improved, Indian football was largely neglected in preference to cricket in which the national team is among the top three countries in the world.[1] In September 2006, India and Brazil signed an agreement formalising a scheme to train Indian footballers and coaches.[2]
Today India's top domestic league, the I-League, is one of the most popular sports league in the India, and is home to some of India's most famous football clubs.
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[edit] History
The origin of football in India can be traced back to mid nineteenth century when the game was introduced by British soldiers. Football spread among the masses thanks to the efforts of one Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhichary. Several football clubs like Calcutta FC, Sovabazar, Mohun Bagan and Aryan Club were established in Calcutta around 1890s. Calcutta, then capital of British India, soon became the hub of Indian football. Tournaments like Gladstone Cup, Trades Cup and Coocbehar Cup was also started around this time. Durand Cup and IFA Shield was started in late nineteenth century making them two of the oldest football competitions in the world.
Initially, games were played between army teams. However, clubs were soon set up around the country. The first "native" team to achieve success was Sovabazar Club, which won the Trades Cup in 1892. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club was set up in what is now West Bengal in 1889. The club became famous in 1911 when it became the first Indian team to lift the IFA Shield, a tournament previously won only by British teams based in India. It defeated the Eastern Yorkshire Regiment 2-1 in the final of the tournament in a victory that is still regarded by many as the greatest by an Indian team before Independence.
The Indian Football Association (IFA) was established in Calcutta in 1893, but did not have a single Indian on its board until the 1930s.
India qualified by default for the 1950 FIFA World Cup finals as a result of the withdrawal of all of their scheduled opponents. But the governing body AIFF decided against going to the World Cup, being unable to understand the importance of the event at that time. Reason shown by AIFF was that there was the cost of travel, although FIFA agreed to bear a major part of the travel expenses,[3] lack of practice time, team selection issues and valuing Olympics over FIFA World cup.[4]
Although FIFA imposed a rule banning barefoot play following 1948 Olympics[5][6] where India had played barefoot. The myth that Indians refused to play because they were not allowed to play barefoot is not entirely true, according to the then Indian captain Shailen Manna, it was just a story to cover up the disastrous decision of the AIFF.[3] The team has never since come close to qualifying for the World Cup.[7]
The Indian team also won gold medals in football at the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games, and finished fourth at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. 1951-1962 is usually considered as "golden phase" of Indian football. The National team won numerous titles in this era under the coaching of Syed Abdul Rahim. Other than success in Asian Games football India also won Merdeka Cup and Quadrangular Tournament while East Bengal garnered rave reviews after it's tour of Romania. Rahim's death in early 60s pegged Indian football back after a successful period.
India did qualify for it's first Asian Cup in 1964 but failed to capture the title. India's last important performance in an international tournament was in 1970 Asian Games, when it won the bronze medal by defeating Japan 1-0. In mid-70s, Indian youth team jointly won the Youth Asian Cup with Iran. Indian football would go through a barren phase in 70s, 80s and 90s, gradually losing its foothold as a top Asian team.
In August 2007, the Indian national team won the Nehru Cup for the first time in its history beating Syria 1-0. [8] In August the following year, India defeated Tajikistan 4-1 to lift the AFC Challenge Cup and in turn qualified for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. In August 2009, India again won the Nehru Cup beating Syria in penalty (6-5).
In January 2011 India played in the 2011 Asian Cup which was the first time India has played in the Asian Cup for 24 years. India were knocked out in the group stage which contained South Korea, Australia, and Bahrain.
Ever since the 2011 Asian Cup the All India Football Federation has been working very hard on Indian Football. For instance they allowed former coach Bob Houghton coach the Indian side in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers. After going first in there AFC Challenge Cup group Bob Houghton was sacked and replaced by the current Indian coach Armando Colaco. Meanwhile the India national under-23 football team won the first round of the 2012 Olympics qualifiers against Myanmar but were knocked out by Qatar. India played their next official matches against United Arab Emirates in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers which India lost on aggregate 5-2.
[edit] League system
The National Football League, established in 1996 by the All India Football Federation was the first semi-professional football league in India. Since its founding, however, many other leagues have been founded in India. In a study made by FIFA in 2006 there are around 6,540 clubs registered with the AIFF.[9]
[edit] I-League
The I-League was founded in 2006 after India's former top league the National Football League disbanded in a successful effort aimed at increasing the game in India. Links with clubs that were not in the I-League were maintained, and each season the bottom two clubs are relegated from the I-League and replaced by two from the I-League 2nd Division. The I-League is contested between 14 clubs each season.
[edit] I-League 2nd Division
The I-League 2nd Division ranks second in the hierarchy of Indian football since the disbanding of India's top league in 2005. The I-League 2nd Division has 21 member clubs evenly divided among three divisions. Promotion and relegation of clubs still takes place between the I-league and the I-League 2nd Division.
[edit] State League football
State league football is considered the best amateur leagues in India. Each state has their own league in India. There is no promotion/relegation between the state leagues and the I-League 2nd Division but there could be promotion/relegation between leagues within the state. For example, the Calcutta Football League has three divisions with promotion/relegation but the winner of the Calcutta Football League will not get promoted to the I-League 2nd Division.
[edit] Youth Leagues
Right now the official youth league in India is the I-League U19 which was won by JCT FC in 2011. The format for the 2012 I-League U19 has not yet been announced.
[edit] Cup Competitions
- Federation Cup: The Federation Cup (abbreviated as Fed cup) is an annual knockout style club football tournament in India. It has started in 1977. From its inception till I-League has been started in 1997 (then called NFL), it was the most prestigious national level club football tournament in India. Presently it is the most important club tournament after I-league. Winning club of Federation cup gets a chance to compete in the continental level in AFC Champions League along with I-league champion team.
- Durand Cup: The Durand Football Tournament was started by then, India's Foreign Secretary, Mortimer Durand at Simla, India, in 1888, initial matches were played in Dagshai. It was basically initiated, as a recreation for British troops stationed in India. The Durand Cup was twice suspended, during the two world wars. In 1940 the venue was shifted to New Delhi.
- Indian Super Cup: The Indian Super Cup is a one-off annual Indian club association football match contested between the I-League champions and the Federation Cup winners. If the I-League champions also won the Federation Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition. The winners of the game receive the Shield as a trophy for the year, while players also receive individual winners medals.
- Santosh Trophy: Santosh Trophy is an annual Indian football tournament which is contested by states and government institutions. The first winners were Bengal, who also lead the all-time winners list with 31 titles till date.
- IFA Shield: The IFA Shield is an annual football competition organized by the Indian Football Association. It is the fourth oldest club cup competition in the world (Started in 1893) after the English and Scottish FA cup's and the Durand Cup.
[edit] Qualification for Asian competitions
| Competition | Who Qualifies | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AFC Champions League | Club finishing 1st in the I-League | This team does not qualify directly for the tournament due to India's low ranking in league play. |
| AFC Cup | Champions of the Federation Cup | This team automatically makes the group stage of this competition. |
[edit] National Teams
The India national football team is the national football team of India and is governed by the All India Football Federation. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. Since 1948, the AIFF has been affiliated with FIFA, the international governing body for football. In 1954, AIFF became one of the founder members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). At the peak of its success during the 1950s and 60s, the team was automatically advanced to play in the 1950 FIFA World Cup (all the other Asian teams withdrew), but they did not go to the tournament in Brazil due to the cost of travel,[3] lack of practice time, team selection issues, their refusal to not play barefoot and valuing Olympics over FIFA World cup.[4] They won gold medals at two Asian Games, and held the record for the best performance by an Asian football team at the Olympics.
There are also a number of other national teams from the Under-23 team to the Under-15 team, the under-23's is considered to be a feeder team for the national team.
[edit] Structure in India
The game in India is administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which is affiliated with the regional Asian Football Confederation, as well as with the worldwide body FIFA. The Indian national team has entered into the regional Asian Cup but has never competed in any World Cup. The Indian women's national team has also played in various competitions; moreover, women's football has its own separate inter-state and state competitions. Youth football is administered by the governmental Sports Authority of India.
The standard of Indian football (compared globally) is poor. According to FIFA rankings, the national team is ranked 146th place in the world as of April 2011, and is said to struggle to qualify for both the World Cup and the Asian Cup. Part of this has been put down to the lack of opportunities for proper training and development of players in the country.
[edit] Women's football
Women's football has not had the relative head start over the rest of the world that the men's game has had, and also has not had the chance to spread through the country like its male counterpart. The game was administerd by the Women's Football Federation of India (WFFI) from 1975 until the early 1990s when they were absorbed into the AIFF. However, there are complaints that women's football is treated as a poor relation to the men's game leading to (unfulfilled) plans to de-merge the WFFI.[10]
The women's game, like the men's game, also has its early pioneers in the state of West Bengal. The large Kolkata teams, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, started women's club sides in the 2000-01 season, and they participate with other teams in the Calcutta Women's Football League. However, it has been seen recently that players from Manipur have made advances in the game. Players from these two states make up a large part of the India women's national football team.
The main women's national competition is played on a state vs. state basis in the India women's football championship.[11] There are also similar national championships for junior teams like the Junior Girls National Championship (for under 19s) and the Under-17 Girls National Championship.
Some female players have become internationally recognised. Among them are Chitra Gangadharan who was selected to play for the All Asian Star team. Jaanki Kotecha was selected as captain to the All Asian Star Team in 2008-2009, where she led her team to victory. In February 2000, Sujata Kar and Alpana Sil became the first Indian footballers to sign a contract outside India. They signed with the German team TSV Crailsheim, but had to return after a month due to problems with the clearance of their international transfer.
Until 1983, women's football took part in international tournaments like the AFC Women's Asian Cup. For example the team won silver in 1980 at Calicut. In later years it had become poor in status just like its male counterpart. During the 2003 AFC Women's Championship, the Indian team were embarrassed by a 12-0 defeat to China. [12]
The poor support of the national team by the AIFF became evident, when the team's trip to Germany was only made possible by Non Resident Indians in the country, and by the support of the German Football Association. Furthermore, championships are held in remote locations, and national media coverage is said to be restricted to state and local newspapers. [10]
The women's game reached a new low in June 2009 when FIFA delisted the side from its world rankings for being out of action for more than 18 months. This comes at a time when the game was gaining in popularity amongst the younger generation as evident by the local leagues conducted around the country. The recently concluded Mumbai Women's Football League 2009-10 organised by the MDFA (Mumbai District Football Association) was a major success and featured many talented players who had played for the national team. Furthermore the popularity of the event gave hope that the women's game could rise in India. [13]
[edit] Stadiums in India
Examples of great stadiums in India are M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, and the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai but they are all primarily Cricket stadiums. The best reported football stadiums in India are Fatorda Stadium in Goa, Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, and Cooperage Ground in Mumbai but the best rated football stadium in India is Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune. The reasons the football stadiums in India are rated so poorly is because of the lack of flood lights, lack of actual seats in the stands, and because the condition of the pitches are poor. So far only the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex has fulfilled all of those criteria regarding seating, floodlights, and pitch condition.
[edit] Seasons in Indian football
The following articles detail the major results and events in each season since 2011.
| 2010s: | 2011–12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 |
[edit] See also
- I-League
- List of football clubs in India
- Football around the world
- India national football team
- India national under-23 football team
- India national under-19 football team
- India national under-16 football team
- India national under-15 football team
- India women's national football team
- I-League U19
[edit] References
- ^ "ICC Test and ODI rankings". Cricinfo.com. http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/rankings/content/current/page/211271.html. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
- ^ "Brazil to the rescue of Indian football". India eNews. 2006-09-13. http://www.indiaenews.com/europe/20060913/22083.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
- ^ a b c http://web.archive.org/web/20100614204013/http://in.yfittopostblog.com/2010/06/14/barefoot-in-bengal-and-other-stories/
- ^ a b "Barefoot in Bengal and Other Stories". http://in.yfittopostblog.com/2010/06/14/barefoot-in-bengal-and-other-stories/.
- ^ Lisi (2007), p. 49
- ^ "1950 FIFA World Cup Brazil - Overview". FIFA. http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=7/overview.html.
- ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20100614204013/http://www.indianfootball.de/data/worldcupq.html
- ^ "India upstage Syria 1-0 to lift Nehru Cup". Reuters. 2007-08-29. http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-29226020070829.
- ^ "India: Country Info". FIFA. 2011. http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=ind/countryInfo.html.
- ^ a b Autor. "Gender and sport in India: aspects of women's football by Arunava Chaudhuri (english)". Indien-netzwerk.de. http://www.indien-netzwerk.de/navigation/frauen/artikel/achaudhuri-womenfootball.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
- ^ http://www.aiffonline.com/women-comp/index.asp
- ^ "Sound planning needed". Sportstaronnet.com. http://www.sportstaronnet.com/tss2628/stories/20030712005400600.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
- ^ "Women's Home". Football Mumbai. 2009-06-27. http://www.footballmumbai.com/index_women.html. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
[edit] External links
- BBC Sport - "What's holding back Indian football?"
- "Gender and sport in India: aspects of women's football"
- "Indian Football Association over the ages" (Video)
- Indian Football photos
- Indian Football Videos
- Indian online football store
- Kolkata Football News
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