Raising the bar for indian football

Even as we sigh in relief that ISL has finally become a reality; there has been no desi flourish that can match the international standards. Indian stars like Sunil Chhetri and Robin Singh will be missing from action and fans continue to dote on international football. However, one hopes Indian football gets a new lease of life

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has joined the Indian Super League (ISL) bandwagon. He and Hrithik Roshan were among the last names to be announced as coowners of the teams in contention. And that, on the face of it, is a massive boost to the world’s most popular sport, which, somehow, is restricted to select few cities and towns in the country.

It has been so very poor that when the idea of a football league was mooted n the country a year back, prophets of doom went all over town to summarily dismiss the proposal. The murmurs became more volatile and orchestrated when the league was actually deferred for inexplicable reasons.

Suddenly, there is a sigh of relief all over because at long last Indian football is all set to get a welcome boost, irrespective of which way it will turn in course of time.

Today, when it is actually happening (the kick-off is on Sunday), not everyone is talking of football, at least not to the extent a sports spectacle of such a magnitude ought to be. There are hardly any discussions across tea joints and the doting fan is more than happy catching up with the Ronaldos, Messis, Neymars and Rooneys and the action that has reached crescendo in Europe. On that count, when the ‘actual’ football season is on, it is safe to presume that ISL has been ill-timed, particularly because it is the launch and means a lot. After all, first impression lasts the longest.

Although, there is tremendous interest for the sport if one goes by the millions who catch up with the best of global football on television, what cannot miss the eye is that there has been no desi flourish that can match the international standards. Irrespective of whether one likes it or not, the fact of the matter is that as a sport it is in the pits in India, notwithstanding the iconic image and superstar status enjoyed by some players in West Bengal, Kerala, Goa and some North Eastern pockets. Pitted against the top grade League players in Europe and Latin America or for that matter against Asian and Middle East giants, the best of Indians are no patch because they come nowhere near in comparison. The self-proclaimed ‘sleeping giant’ has been the biggest misnomer in the Indian parlance as far as football goes.

Without sounding pessimistic, one has to admit that there is this overwhelming impression that something is terribly amiss somewhere down the line that is getting camouflaged because the celebrity magnetism is coming from elsewhere and not from any Indian footballers. Film stars, cricketers and footballers from abroad, either as co-owners or marquee players, are the ones who will steer ISL in the inaugural year. To a native football fan, the ISL does not offer much in the sense that one will hardly get to see too many Indian footballers in action.

For instance, Sunil Chhetri, current national captain and the best known Indian face after the original poster boy, Baichung Bhutia, will not be playing because his ILeague club Bengaluru FC has refused him permission. It is ditto with his fellow-mates Robin Singh and Karanjit Singh. The only saving grace is that the main custodian, Subrata Paul, will don the Mumbai City FC jersey.

For statistical records, while Salt Lake Stadium will host the inaugural, the venue for the grand finale slated for December 20 is yet to be decided, which comes as an administrative lapse because it is a major bloomer when taken under any yardstick. In the intervening period 61 matches will be held, featuring 212 players from eight teams, including 94 foreign players, of which eight are marquee footballers, spread over 70 days of ‘high-voltage’ action.

Another significant aspect is that unlike in Indian Premier League (IPL), by and large players (barring a few) who are coming from abroad for ISL are almost out of the limelight, the legendary status is almost in oblivion. It is in fact the owners and their individual charisma that may bring in the crowds.

It is true that there are expectations that ISL may trigger football frenzy across the country but what cannot be denied is that in a country that is still starved of true-blue global champions, cricket still reigns supreme.

Poor cousins of IPL were created in other disciplines like hockey, volleyball, golf, kabaddi and even badminton, which is still unsure if the second edition of IBL will actually take-off. The Mahesh Bhupathi-inspired tennis league may create a wave or two when it is launched but its brand value has been best described by ATP boss as an ‘entertainment outing’ for the professionals. Some leagues have come and gone but IPL has survived every odd, including organizational wrangles like in the second edition and the menace of fixing in the sixth.

The doomsday soothsayers apart, one genuinely hopes that ISL will propel interest for desi football so that the golden days that lasted till the sixties could be rekindled if not for the sake of posterity at least for the passion that one has for the beautiful game.

Even though the league gets off to a start after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurates it, all eyes will be on the 45-minute Bollywood and IPL-inspired opening ceremony featuring a rocking number by Priyanka Chopra and Varun Dhawan that begins at 5m.

The vision of Nita Ambani, Founding Chairperson, Football Sports Development, is to ensure that ISL will help India become a global football power and qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Perhaps far-fetched but there is nothing wrong in dreaming big.

One sincerely hopes that for all the money spent on the extravaganza, the country will rise to the occasion and live up to the official slogan of Hero Indian Super League-Come on, India. Let's football!