New Delhi: He came, he played, he conquered.
Lionel Messi's trip to India might have delighted fans and brought the Argentine superstar into the national limelight, but as the curtains come down on his short visit, it is time to take stock and see just how beneficial it was for Indian football.
Organizers and promoters of the international friendly between Argentina and Venezuela, which was held in Kolkata last week, claimed the match would boost football in India, generating interest and attracting sponsors for a sport that has been much-neglected in the country.
The craze over the arrival of the world's best player in the 'City of Joy' only reaffirmed what has been known for a while - Football, as a sport, is very popular in India, and can even rival cricket at the domestic level. The game has historically found passionate support in regions like Bengal, the North East, Goa and Kerala, but football is played by children all over and viewership for the Premier League and international events like the World Cup is at an all-time high.
Indeed, this growing interest is what is prompting the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool to make increasing forays into the Indian market. Recently, the Anfield club opened an academy on the outskirts of New Delhi, with plans to expand to more cities next year.
On the flipside though, the increased following has not led to suitable development of the game in the country. Just months before the hype over Messi's visit, Indian football suffered a huge blow as JCT Phagwara became the second I-League club to close down, following the disbandment of Mahindra United last year. In fact, there is currently no club from the north in the first division. Even the erstwhile Indian Arrows, the team formed to groom young India hopefuls, has changed name and location – It will now be known as Pailan Arrows and be based in Kolkata, not Delhi.
It has been tough to attract an audience for Indian football outside of the traditional strongholds of the game in the country. Young fans can recite entire squads of their favourite EPL teams, yet will struggle to even name all 14 clubs that take part in the domestic league. Blame has been put on inconvenient timings, poor facilities at most stadiums, insufficient funds and inadequate marketing and promotional efforts.
However, the problem goes much deeper than that. After all, it is quality that will ultimately lure fans, and that is where Indian football continues to fall short. Poor infrastructure and the lack of a structured programme to develop the game at the grass-roots level are the biggest impediments to nurturing talent and raising the standard of football, something the inconsistent administration of the AIFF has been unable to do. A case in point - The I-League's goalscoring charts have been dominated by powerful Nigerian strikers so far, with Indian names few and far between.
The success of the national team can make up, to some extent, for the failings of the domestic league in promoting the game. And the support for them is growing, as was witnessed during the two Nehru Cups held in Delhi. Incidentally, backed by the home crowd, India won the trophy on both occasions (2007 and 2009). Even the World Cup qualifier against UAE recently ended in a 2-2 draw and drew large crowds despite pouring rain at the Ambedkar Stadium.
Yet the national team languishes at 158 in the FIFA rankings and was comprehensively beaten by Asian superpowers at the AFC Asian Cup in January this year. A drastic improvement in their fortunes is unlikely until there is development of the game at the youth level.
So, how can Messi's visit help Indian football? After all, how much difference can one game make, even if it did involve the Barcelona star? Well, perhaps the organizers are right - The hype surrounding Messi's Indian sojourn has certainly drawn attention to the sport, hopefully inspiring youngsters and reminding those with funds of the potential of the game, given the right backing.
The need is to now build on the current interest and ensure the long-term growth of football at the lower levels. The friendly can provide a fresh impetus for AIFF and other stakeholders to further promote the game. Money must be invested correctly in developing a youth structure, improving facilities, giving coaches overseas exposure to learn and run the game more professionally at all levels.
And therein lies the challenge. For, unless the potential is harnessed and the domestic game benefits, football in India will soon return to its secondary status behind cricket, struggling for attention and support. And the wait to find an 'Indian Messi' will grow even longer.
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