Playing before the empty stands

Sad as it is,the AIFF’s apathy has resulted in India’s football taking a nosedive and languishing at 158th place in the FIFA rankings. Currently,the Federation Cup,the country’s premier knockout tournament,is being played in Kolkata and Pune and almost all the top players are in action. But they are playing before the empty stands.

Just a fortnight ago,more than 85,000 fans braved the mismanagement and thuggish behaviour from some security personnel to be present at the Salt Lake Stadium. The stake was definitely huge – the world’s greatest player at the moment was leading his country against Venezuela in an international friendly. But Kolkata is basically a soccer-crazy city and Mohun Bagan and East Bengal run in its veins. Question is who will woo the fans to the stadium? It’s the AIFF’s job,but they hardly care.

At least one club has shown the courage to attack the governing body on the issue.

“The country’s premier knockout tournament is being organised unprofessionally. Even an amateur-level tournament is better organised. Kolkata is a soccer-crazy city but I don’t think too many football lovers know about this edition of the Federation Cup. There is virtually no promotion of the tournament and it won’t even be beamed live all over the country. The total prize money is Rs 25 lakh,which won’t even make a player’s salary,” East Bengal secretary Kalyan Majumder said ahead of the Federation Cup. Well done

Mr Majumder!

The problem is that the AIFF will never change. Two big groups,Mahindras and JCT,have disbanded their football teams,but the Federation is yet to wake up from its slumber. For us,who once used to run through the turnstiles to be first on the terraces to shout the name of our favourite clubs,it’s difficult to come to terms with the decline. But we are powerless in front of the powers-that-be in Indian football.

So,all we can do now is to settle in a nicely upholstered sofa and enjoy international football in our living rooms.