Spread The Game, Tap the Untapped
There are vast swathes of the country where the National Federation or the State Associations have not made any inroads. These are the regions where football is really popular but have not found much publicity in the mainstream media. The Kolhapur region of Maharashtra is one such place. Even for local matches, the stadium is full to the brim.
Even in Karnataka football is popular with Bengaluru FC in the ISL but it has not touched the masses. The city of Mumbai was once known for its passion for football with Rovers Cup taking place there in the past but now the popularity of the game has gone down a bit, the onus is on the Western India Football Association and the city’s ISL team Mumbai City FC to bring, the glory days of football back to the city of dreams.
There might be many other places where football is popular but we are not aware of it as there are very little publicity and media coverage. Hyderabad has a rich football history but, in the present time's the same cannot be said. It will be wonderful if this city of Nizams reclaims it's past football glory and their ISL team Hyderabad FC can play a big part in this revival.
One common problem we see with state associations across India is that they have their offices in the capital city and everything happens around it. The districts are often neglected and even the state leagues are held only in one place mostly the capital and the teams are all from within the city or the suburbs. The district clubs do not even know the process of approaching the state associations.
Take for example the Indian Football Association (West Bengal) which is based in Kolkata and everything happens within the city. The districts don’t get much attention and there is not even a proper state league being held which would give the lesser-known clubs and players to come in focus. Clubs from the rest of the state are left playing their own city league if it takes place or those Prize Money football tournaments. The hills of Darjeeling is one such region, which is a football hub but has been often overlooked.
Yes, ATK and some other clubs of the country have conducted trials and have taken many young footballers in their fold but there is still a huge talent pool in the region with no stage to showcase it. Local football is conducted at an amateur level and no professional clubs exist in this region and the only option left for players if they want and have the talent to play at a higher level is to head for Kolkata or any other football hubs of the country.
Neglected will be a harsh word to use as the IFA might have their own stumbling blocks but the hills are crying for attention. It might be of great help to the players from this region if trials are held here too for different age group tournaments and the Santosh Trophy. The IFA can think about a North Bengal and Hills branch which will be fully dedicated to the development of the game here. If this happens bridge between North Bengal and Kolkata can be shortened and many players from this region can get a chance to play in the national level tournaments. This will give a huge boost to the footballers from this region and the game will make more inroads. This is an untapped region waiting to be explored even further.
Even in Karnataka football is popular with Bengaluru FC in the ISL but it has not touched the masses. The city of Mumbai was once known for its passion for football with Rovers Cup taking place there in the past but now the popularity of the game has gone down a bit, the onus is on the Western India Football Association and the city’s ISL team Mumbai City FC to bring, the glory days of football back to the city of dreams.
There might be many other places where football is popular but we are not aware of it as there are very little publicity and media coverage. Hyderabad has a rich football history but, in the present time's the same cannot be said. It will be wonderful if this city of Nizams reclaims it's past football glory and their ISL team Hyderabad FC can play a big part in this revival.
One common problem we see with state associations across India is that they have their offices in the capital city and everything happens around it. The districts are often neglected and even the state leagues are held only in one place mostly the capital and the teams are all from within the city or the suburbs. The district clubs do not even know the process of approaching the state associations.
Take for example the Indian Football Association (West Bengal) which is based in Kolkata and everything happens within the city. The districts don’t get much attention and there is not even a proper state league being held which would give the lesser-known clubs and players to come in focus. Clubs from the rest of the state are left playing their own city league if it takes place or those Prize Money football tournaments. The hills of Darjeeling is one such region, which is a football hub but has been often overlooked.
Yes, ATK and some other clubs of the country have conducted trials and have taken many young footballers in their fold but there is still a huge talent pool in the region with no stage to showcase it. Local football is conducted at an amateur level and no professional clubs exist in this region and the only option left for players if they want and have the talent to play at a higher level is to head for Kolkata or any other football hubs of the country.
Neglected will be a harsh word to use as the IFA might have their own stumbling blocks but the hills are crying for attention. It might be of great help to the players from this region if trials are held here too for different age group tournaments and the Santosh Trophy. The IFA can think about a North Bengal and Hills branch which will be fully dedicated to the development of the game here. If this happens bridge between North Bengal and Kolkata can be shortened and many players from this region can get a chance to play in the national level tournaments. This will give a huge boost to the footballers from this region and the game will make more inroads. This is an untapped region waiting to be explored even further.
Photo: Kalimpong TV
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