Indian Football Future in the Roots

It's been a long time since India has made a name for itself in the global game of football. Many decades back, heart appealing performances at the Olympics and Asian Games football tournaments have been registered into the Indian football portfolio. Many Indian citizens are not even aware of these facts then how can they remember the greats behind these feats? However, the current batch of Indian footballers are determined enough to make not only the Indian audiences but the whole world to take note of their talent. This mission has begun with a notable victory at the "ONGC" Nehru Cup last August by beating higher ranked Syria in the finals. So Indian Seniors!!! "You have done a very splendid job but your juniors are chips of the old blocks." The zeal of the juniors just cannot be ignored. The India U16 team returned from Saudi Arabia in November 2007 with an acclaimed laurel of qualifying to Asian U17 Championship finals to be held later this year.

This youth team is on a high; it has to be. This news is spreading like a motivating wave and definitely reminds us of the last biggest feat achieved by Indians in youth football that is way back in 1974, a victory at the Asian Youth Championship at Bangkok. Moreover these young guns are becoming examples for the budding Indian football players. Gruelling training sessions at the Goa camps, matches with Indian U19 and Senior teams, and then the tour to Germany have all been the confidence boosters for this team which was struggling to find the mental toughness within them. Chief coach Colin Toal is definitely the masterpiece behind this innovation. The systematic programme put in place by Toal with the necessary support given by the AIFF has made the efforts to pay off in terms of team's fruitful deeds. The conditional camp in Goa helped the boys to get to know their game more closely and seriously. The grooming which they underwent here was the take off to the destination that is success. Following this camp, a tour to Germany was arranged for this team by the AIFF with help from the German Bundesliga which was a massive step to strengthen the morale of the boys. This tour made them realise that Europeans are no different. They are good enough to take on the westerners with burning fuel just about to spill. The efforts which the mastermind Toal put in to get all the potent out of the boys, was the major attribute to rake in positive results which in totality made the boys realize their dream. Remember, hard work pays the most.

The efficiency to dwell in the team made every guy to play above par excellence. This key made possible the unbeatable run in the whole tournament with four convincing wins over Sri Lanka, Lebanon, the fancied Saudi Arabia and minnows Bhutan plus a draw against the strong Iraqis. Well now let's have a look at the finds of this successful Indian U16 campaign. Malsawmfela, the Mizoram striker with a good ball control, high confidence, style and the finishing touch is next in line to make it to senior's team in no time. He had a missile to shoot goals in the whole tournament. Akshay Vimal Kumar Mall, the first player to represent India from Gujarat, a skilful midfielder, was very ecstatic after scoring a brace in the match against Bhutan. Deepak Devrani, a defender from Delhi was over the moon by scoring against Lebanon avenging the senior's loss. Others too played their part. The team bonded well to stay together in the ups and downs, and the supporting staffs was proactive enough to keep everyone's morale high. The AIFF too, deserves the credit for the initiatives taken & the support provided to the entire team.

It's important to know where this team shall head from now on. The answer is with the team itself. It could well become an Indian Dream Team but has to stay focused, do the basics right and make optimum utilization of the international exposure. Definitely, this team seems to have the calibre of the feet which dribbled the ball way back when India was a silent rocker in football world. It reminds us about the disappeared charisma which the team had in the legs of P.K. Banerjee, Neville D'Souza and other greats. So, this future prospective team seems to take us back to the roots of Indian football which is a sign of a promise. The same team shall lock horns with better Asian teams in the finals of the Asian U17 Championships in Uzbekistan this year and a good performance there shall mean a U17 World Cup ticket. This means that history is on its verge to be created in near future.
Just do your best and God shall do the rest...