by Harmit Singh Kamboe

Why the Indian Fan Should Be Proud of Indian Footballers
So there we have it. If the story of Rhain Davis has not driven home why India lags in footballing or for that matter any kind of meaningful sporting success, then we must all be delusional. For those that are not familiar with the story, here is a brief synopsis.
Rhain is a young nine year old that has been signed on by English giants Manchester United. He moved from Great Britain to Australia when he was 4. His grandfather sent the people at Manchester United a DVD of this prodigy and the rest is history. Rhain is back in the UK and his family is now in the process of moving back too. A video clip of Rhain on www.youtube.com has been viewed more than 3 million times and he clearly seems gifted for his age.
Manchester United sign on about 30 to 40 nine year olds every year. By the time these children are 12, ManU decides on which of these kids will go further and stay with them and which ones will be released. So by the time a child turns 12, their fate is pretty much made. In the case of India, most youth academies take in children at 12 years or even later. Is it any wonder that despite being a nation a billion, we are such an embarrassing weakling at not just football but almost all other real sports.
Talent spotting in the competitive sports world is almost over by the time India and Indian sports administrators get to their jobs. It is only now that the AIFF is exerting pressure on the clubs to have junior squads. It remains to be seen how many clubs truly implement such initiatives as most clubs will probably find creative ways to get around such directives.
Success for prodigies like Rhain Davis is by no means guaranteed. As children grow up, dedication and determination become more important qualities than just talent and many kids just lose interest. Talent, like all other skills must be honed scientifically. The mental pressures on kids that are 12 and in the early teens can also have un-intended consequences. But for those children that survive such pressures, the road to becoming a champion, a winner becomes easy. And for budding Indian kids that have not been through such pressure, this inevitably shows up in the lack of what we call "killer instinct".
The true Indian fan though needs to be realistic. The Indian state has many more real and urgent challenges to fight than to worry about achievements on the sports field. However, laying an emphasis on basic skills across some key sports at the school level would go a long way in developing a large talent pool. The Indian corporate sector has been obsessed with cricket given the mass popularity of that game (Sport? Perhaps). Changes are however afoot. The entry of corporates into forming some new clubs is the best news that Indian football fans have had in more than a decade.
Given the short sporting life span of football players, the shoddy conditions and 19th century thinking and management in Indian football, we should be proud and thankful for the few brave and foolhardy souls that undertake to become footballers and athletes in our land.
So the next time, you watch Ronaldinho or Kaka on television, spare a thought for the domestic footballers that play in front of mostly empty stands, and for a lot fewer rupees. It is us the fans that can give Indian football a helping hand by being half as passionate and interested in what happens in our local and national leagues as we are in overseas leagues.