On the face of it,the Indian football teams schedule of training for the Nehru Cup in Dubai and Barcelona was unpredictable,leaving a few players happily surprised. It also raised a few eyebrows for the expenses it would entail. On Thursday,coach Bob Houghton,however,gave commonplace reasons involving mainly infrastructural problems and an unprofessional set-up for shifting the trials out of the country. We want to give the boys some time to be together,but unfortunately we dont have the facilities to prepare for an international event in the country. Theres not a single training ground in the country where a national team can practise, Houghton said at a press conference,adding,In India,the game hasnt moved forward because we dont understand what standards to achieve. In the Asian Cup 2011 we are going to play Australia and they can almost pick a team out of the English Premier League. Thats the standard we would like to achieve. And I dont see India getting close to that with tournaments like the Santosh Trophy,IFA Shield or the Durand Cup. Goa versus Bengal is good fun but then you cant ask why your national team ranks 140-plus in the world. He said he wants the Indian team to follow a few examples. North Korea have kept their players out of all tournaments for four years,I did the same with China for two years and look at their progress. In India this issue was raised but it got delayed to every next executive committee meeting. I-League errors The English coach also seemed dismayed by the way the I-League has been conducted. I dont think any of the I-League teams fulfill all of AFCs criteria of having a doctor,physio,trainer,fitness coach,assistant coach and their own training grounds. I have also seen club presidents and secretaries dictating substitutions during the I-League. With this set-up,I would say we have done well to be in the 140s, Houghton said. Adding that its just for the talented bunch that he has stayed on,the 61-year-old said Indian football was the biggest loser in the recent controversy involving skipper Bhaichung Bhutia. I wouldnt have allowed him to skip national training for a reality show but if I had a problem with him I wouldnt have gone to the newspapers or involved the executive committee. Mohun Bagan and Indian football are worthy of good leadership and the whole incident only ridiculed Indian football publicly.
