Jeakson Singh Thounaojam – remember the name!
When the young Manipuri defender rose above Colombia’s markers to nod home India’s first goal in a football World Cup, he did not merely complete the most celebrated act in the beautiful game; he also assured himself of sporting immortality.
Jeakson will be fondly recalled every time India and the World Cup are mentioned in the same breath. But the record will also show that, statistically, India’s debut, at the under-17 level, was restricted to that 82nd-minute goal.
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Despite being perhaps the most diligently prepared football team to represent the country, the boys lost all their group games. They did earn sumptuous praise from opponents and experts alike for their spirited efforts on the field, but for all their desire and industry, they couldn’t bridge the gulf in quality at the highest level.
Gleaned from the scattered crop of talent across the country, chiefly the North-East, the Indian team’s composition spoke of the untended development process that has hindered the sport for decades. There remains very little of the class or accomplishment that gave India the Asian Games gold in 1962.
For a solution to Indian football’s inherent problem one needs look no further than the other teams at the tournament. What it lacks is a systematic youth development system. A majority of the countries at the Under-17 World Cup have clearly profited from the academies or youth teams of the clubs playing the top leagues.
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England had players from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City. Spain called on boys from top clubs of La Liga, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia while Germany drew from the youth academies of Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen and Hertha Berlin which play the Bundesliga.
While the likes of Jadon Sancho (England, currently at Borussia Dortmund), Abel Ruiz (Spain), Yacine Adli (France) and Jann-Fiete Arp (Germany) go on to earn multi-million salaries in top European clubs, the Jeakson Singhs here will have to be content with what Indian Super League has to offer.
The chasm becomes apparent when one profiles the Indian team, which is primarily sourced from the All India Football Federation’s academy or the Minerva Football Academy (which does not have a proper football club). This in essence means that the top ‘professional’ clubs in the country do not contribute to the development of sport.
The century-old Mohun Bagan and East Bengal (barely two years short of the mark) have done precious little in terms of youth development. Even the glitzy franchises in the swanky ISL don’t boast of a structured youth system. Apart from latest entrant Jamshedpur FC, none of the ISL clubs can claim to have proper academies.
But there are encouraging signs. A significant gain from hosting its first football World Cup was a rekindling of India’s latent passion for the sport, which has existed here for over a century. The six venues recorded an average turnout of 23,000, among the best ever in the combined history of the U-16/U-17 World Cup.
“I give credit to the Indian people,” said FIFA’s head of coaching and player development, Branimir Ujevic. “Going to some of the stadiums, I felt like [I was at] the Santiago Bernabeu (Real Madrid’s home) or Old Trafford (Manchester United) because of the many enthusiastic people who really enjoy football.”
The event has also improved the infrastructure for the sport around the country, with the development of six international-standard stadiums and 26 practice grounds. But to sustain football’s growth, a lot more needs to be done.
“Fans who have thronged the World Cup need to be nurtured,” said Joy Bhattacharjya, project director of the U-17 World Cup. “We need to bring them back by creating an atmosphere in Indian football. They may love Manchester United or Arsenal but they should also love Indian teams. You can involve yourself with both the teams; that is where the change will happen.”