Goal-bound

Bhaichung Bhutia should know. He has ruled the Indian football scenario for long, has played abroad, and has seen the struggle from both the blunt and sharp ends. 8220;I am all for it, but you have to have the basics in place first,8221; he says, talking to The Sunday Express. 8220;Dormant are very serious problems in the system in India, and not much has been done about it. And when a system is adopted, it is never adhered to. Things have to be practical and there has to be consistency.

8220;Moreover, while I have no problem with the professional contracts, since I am a full professional, there are too many players holding jobs. That is their security when their careers end,8221; said Bhaichung.

Former India defender and ex-Mohun Bagan coach Subrata Bhattacharya points to the same problem. 8220;Gouranga Pal left Mohun Bagan to play for BNR Club South Eastern Railways8217; sporting club. Why? Because he says he8217;ll get a job that will serve him and his family right when his playing days are over. He says at his age professionalism means little to him, for his survival, for his family,8221; Bhattacharya says. 8220;That8217;s the real truth in our country, the stark truth.

8220;Had you started planning five years back, had you initiated the youngsters to the system, had you built a bank of such players, you could have boldly started today,8221; Bhattacharya says. 8220;You cannot just put it on us, suddenly. What if you are injured today, and your career is over? Will the AIFF take care of you?8221;

Stark, dark thoughts, but true, nevertheless. The socio-economic structure of our country can see one Munaf Patel climb to dizzying heights in cricket from modest beginnings, but can a soccer player have similar dreams, especially with our country at the ranking it is now? 8220;No, says Bhattacharya. It8217;s a bad dream. One needs to have one8217;s feet on the ground.8221;

How different was it for Bhaichung in England, playing for Bury FC? 8220;It is a different culture, a different way in which the sport is approached, a market-driven situation.8221; He has a point. Bury went into financial problems and their league position notwithstanding, they were almost reduced to penury. What happens to an Indian club, and its players, who drop down from the Pro League and its players are suddenly sans contracts, and sans jobs too?

8220;I think there is a great possibility of the debut Pro League running into injury problems,8221; maintains Anjan Mitra, secretary Mohun Bagan Club. 8220;The same players are allowed to play in the state leagues, so when our clubs play them in the slush, through the rainy season, and when they pick up injuries as they do, what shine will the Pro League starting in October be left with? It will be a disaster.8221;

Bhaichung, of course, is not so sure about using the word 8216;disaster8217; too easily. 8220;Give a player two matches in ten days, or maybe three in 21, something like that, space it out, and I think it is a sure possibility. I believe this can be done, sans too many injuries. Of course, over 80 per cent of the players hold additional jobs. That8217;s a problem. But I8217;m sure the federation will look into this part and make amends.8221;

Not that AIFF president Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi isn8217;t aware of the problems. 8220;Yes, these gray areas do exist. We must work around them,8221; he told The Sunday Express. Given his acumen for management, he will, even if it doesn8217;t make everybody happy. The point is, we need to start somewhere, sometime. And now is as good a time as any. Plus, there is this FIFA development money in the pipeline.