Meanwhile, the young stars cut their Milk teeth

It wasn’t going to be an easy tournament. With the world’s best on show at the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland, India had their hands...

It wasn’t going to be an easy tournament. With the world’s best on show at the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland, India had their hands full. Indeed, before the team’s departure coach Stephen Constantine said: ‘‘Getting whipped is evident. But playing in an international tournament is important to improve.’’

Far from getting whipped, the Indian boys left with three wins from the six matches played, including the biggie over Dymano Kiev. ‘‘It was really an amazing performance by our lads’’, Constantine said, adding, ‘‘they’ve done India and Asia proud.’’

The performance was the result of a systematic training process over 3-4 years. A major factor — apart from the fact that most of the lads were from one academy (Tata Football Academy) and played together — is the exposure at various national tournaments (Durand Cup, all-Airlines Gold Cup and the Governor’s Cup). ‘‘Playing against every major team in India is confidence boosting’’, says TFA chief Satish Pillai.

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Singling out the psychological disadvantage that players suffer when abroad, Pillai adds “It’s no sense sending them out without giving them a taste of the tough stuff.’’ So the colts were sent for a training-cum-coaching exercise to Germany, apart from playing opposite the seniors before the trip to Ireland.

Among the exciting players that Pillai singles out are defender Habibur Rahman Mondal, medios Malswama, who scored in every single match during the AFC U-17 Asia Cup in Abhu Dhabi, Chitrasen Chandam Singh, Jerry Zirsana and striker Bimal Perihar.

Among the five Malswama, from Mizoram, and Jerry Zirsanga hold most promise — both made their mark in Asia by being nominated on the Asian all-Star U-17 team by the AFC, the former did one better being declared Best Player in the Durand Cup in 2002.

If there is a cloud to the silver lining it’s this: that 14 players were from TFA, the lone academy of that quality. As TFA chief satish Pillai puts it: “a couple of more academies will definitely put India on a roll.”

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Indeed, Pillai believes that 14 from TFA is not a healthy sign. ‘‘It should be four from academies from all zones in India.’’

When Asian soccer chief Peter Velappan visited Delhi for the Indian Football Conference earlier this year, he said young Indian talent had shown its capability despite not getting the benefit of long-term organised scientific training, proper diet advice and health checks that sports medicine offers.

Now that the realisation has taken place and the enterprising results coming, the future holds promise.