There is no short cut in football to reach the top

It's truly amazing that months after the end of the 2006 FIFA World Cup - Germany, the battle for the next 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa starts with India playing its first away match on 8th October in Lebanon and then the home match on 28th October, 2007. 205 nations are likely to take part in this great event which makes the FIFA World Cup truly the most coveted football championship not only in the world of football but in the world of sports in general. The Olympics is the only other event that can match the FIFA World Cup in terms of participation and popularity. Every four years during the World Cup, we wonder when India will qualify for this great event and most people also wonder why India with over a billion population cannot find eleven players to play the finals of the World Cup.
Yes, I too would like to see India play the World Cup in our lifetime but before we can even dream of it there are three other championships which we must first qualify for in order to have some kind of a chance to make it to the finals of the World Cup. The other three are: the FIFA U17 World Cup, the FIFA U20 World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup. The last two were held in the month of July,2007 and the U17 FIFA World Cup is currently being played in Republic of Korea from 18th August to 9th September,2007. For any Asian country wanting to play the FIFA World Cup, these three events are of great importance and so we need to set our priorities right.
Qualifying for the FIFA U17 World Cup, held every two years, should be our top priority. The 24 teams in the present U17 World Cup are: five from Asia, four from Africa, five from Europe, five from Northern and Central America, four from South America and one from Oceania. From our point of view we need to have a look at the Asian countries participating in the championsip. They are: Japan, Republic of Korea, Korea DPR, Tajikistan and Syria.
The next one in line of importance is the U20 FIFA World Cup held in Canada from July 16 to August 8, 2007. Argentina won the cup but again the countries participating from Asia were almost the same: Japan, Republic of Korea, Jordan and DPR Korea.
The AFC Asian Cup played in four countries Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia has really come of age. And now with Australia joining the Asian Football Confederation, the Asian Cup has the much needed credibility as several Australian players play in the English Premier League and around 150 Australian players are reported to be playing offshore. From its humble beginnings in 1956, the AFC Asian Cup has developed into the continent's premier football tournament, bringing together the top national teams from the length and breath of Asia. Iraq won this time but Iran, Saudi Arabia and Japan have dominated Asian football, each having won the Asian cup thrice.
The performance of the Indian team in the ONGC Nehru cup is heartening and we must put our hands together for AIFF, Coach Bob Houghton and the players for the splendid victory. I hope this victory attracts the corporate/sponsors to the beautiful game but I also hope they come with a special budget for youth development and not just depend on established players which will not take our football anywhere. The World Cup is in a different league altogether and to do well at this stage there is no other alternative but to seriously start from the bottom. To reach the top, ie the FIFA World Cup, we have three steps to climb: step one (U17 World Cup), step two (U20 World Cup) and step three (Asian Cup). The first step is a long one and should take around ten years, if we start training our youngsters systematically from age six onwards. The 'player development', according to AFC website takes around 14 years: Fun Phase(6 to 10 years), Foundation Phase(11 to 13 years), Formative Phase (14 to 16 years) and Final youth Phase(17 to 20 years).
Countries like Japan and Republic of Korea have rightly concentrated in the under age championships like the AFC Youth Championships, FIFA U17 World Cup, FIFA U20 World Cup and thus they invariably claim their places in the finals of the Asian Cup and FIFA World Cup. The exposure and the experience the youngsters get playing these under age championships give them the distinct advantage over others in all senior championships in years to come.
And I don't think there is any other short cut to reach the top...