The next challenges for the AIFF

People in India love to run down every one and everything. From politicians, to state social services to government institutions. And when one asks for constructive criticism or a helping hand, seldom does one step forward.

For the All India Football Federation this has been a very good year. While one may not agree with everything that they have done or not, we believe they have taken a few important and long lasting steps in the right direction. What is now needed from them is to carry this momentum forward and fully address some of the other long festering issues that are holding Indian football back.

Here is what We believe AIFF deserves credit for:

1. Establishment of Football House at Dwarka, New Delhi
As elementary as this may seem, we are glad that the AIFF has now put the ignominy of not having a permanent office behind it with the financial help from the FIFA Goal Project. The AIFF now should focus on other issues like looking to get paid professionals on board at least on a contract basis for clear cut specific tasks if not on a full time basis.

2. Appointment of Bob Houghton as Team India Coach for 3 years
While all football fans are glad to have a coach of the calibre of Bob Houghton guiding Team India, we would like to remind the AIFF that a single coach alone is not enough to be the catalyst in the metamorphosis of a sports team. The coach needs to be supported by an army of assistant coaches and physios and so on. Houghton and Uzbek junior coach Islam Akhmedov, both need to be provided the support structure that he is looking for here.

3. Ushering in the pro league with some of the NFL clubs
We all know how important clubs are in the success of football and in popularizing the game. It's heartening to see how the AIFF has chosen to work with some of the clubs to gradually get the pro league of the ground. It is better to have a few professional clubs that non at all and full marks to the foresight shown by the AIFF.

One must never be satisfied with what has been done in the past and for 2007, here is a list of things that the AIFF must address before the new year commences. And quite frankly some of these issues can be resolved in the remainder of 2006, if sufficient attention and effort is applied against them.

Structural Challenges to be addressed:

1. Set the process for finalizing the annual calendar way ahead of time
A clear cut calendar needs to be finalized so the players, club owners, fans, media, advertisers know what lies in store. Even if opposition teams cannot be finalized in advance, what can be finalized is the decision to have a friendly or go to a specific tournament etc.
In this regard, it is also critical that we remind our readers of the telling observation of Houghton to play against teams that ranked just above India so that Team India gets the opportunity to score and win. Players, fans, the media and advertisers all like to see a winning team and playing against those that are just ahead of us in rankings is more likely to create an environment of success.

2. Resolve the club versus country payment issue
Recent cases of where players from the Under-20 squad have expressed their lack of interest in joining the training camp for the AFC Youth Championship in Calcutta and Bangalore are both shocking but understandable. A daily stipend of Rs. 20 is an insult to any Indian especially when they can do so much better by playing for their clubs.

A formula must be worked out for how clubs can be compensated for national team duties at all levels (senior and junior).

3. Be an agent of Change
The AIFF must ask itself how can it be an agent of positive change for football in India. There has been talk of building a national football academy but should the AIFF really be in that business. While we do not agree with that we also feel that the the clubs in India will never be able to or would be would be willing to put up an academy on the scale that India needs.
We suggest that the AIFF plan for at least 50 non-residential football academies across India as a pilot test. Non-residential academies are cheaper to run as all the AIFF would have to do is supply the football coaches, equipment, kits for the children. It would be great to see the AIFF offer such a program to the state run schools so that it could also ensure that the free meal scheme in some schools is run properly as the students at such schools would need proper nutrition.

Such a program would also force the state football Associations to act which in many cases would be a first.