INDIAN
F
T-FALL
A NEW SEASON//REASON
The number of my fingers is more than the number of times I have seen
football matches in stadiums. Fact! It is a sad irony for a football fan like
me. But the rush of the match day, mad crowds, touchline banter, singing
songs for your team, is a concept very alien to most Indian football fans.
Like me, most of them are glued-to-tele fans. And the experience of a
match is limited to the company of friends and beer.
But all that is about to be a thing of past. Indian Super League(ISL) is
starting in October. The excitement is almost palpable in the air of Delhi as
it prepares to host the matches of its own team (Delhi Dynamos) in the
football league. It will be the first time that Delhi as a city will get a taste
of quality Football for a sustained period – the quality bit is more
expectation than fact. But for a city that is not seeped in the tradition of
Football – the allure of joining another team in the local Delhi football
league is just better playing kits - the phenomenon is remarkable.
The signs are all ominous - Big clubs (Atletico Madrid, Feynoord, Fiorentina)
are giving technical expertise to their Indian counterparts, Past legends have
joined the Indian bandwagon (Del Piero, Anelka, Trezeguet, Zico etc), the
financial model is long-term & stable, and most importantly the Indian Cities
usually not associated with football are excited too. Though the cynics will
say that it is just another one of FIFA’s money making machinery, but every
European league & every club has a target of making profit.
I am not concerned about these things. My concerns are regarding owners –
the film stars. I hope they don’t turn the league into a glitzy circus. The
seriousness of game should not be compromised at any cost. Otherwise ISL
will become another flippant event that won’t have any passion quotient, just
entertainment factor.
6
Photo Credit: Bunu Dhungana