football

Updated: Mar 17, 2020 08:41 IST

It was October 2008. The then Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting—Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi— suffered a stroke that left him permanently incapacitated. It spelt a change in the All India Football Federation (AIFF) that he headed as president for two decades. As he underwent treatment, the responsibility of leading the AIFF fell on another cabinet member in the ruling UPA coalition—civil aviation minister Praful Patel. Two months later, when the AIFF elections were held, Dasmunsi was re-elected unopposed as president despite his inability to perform the role because of his health. Patel, the second-in-command, was re-elected vice-presisdent and became the de-facto president. Patel would go on to win the president’s election twice—in 2012 and 2016. Despite facing legal hiccups and accusation of election manipulation the second time, Patel continued to hold office. This year, Patel won’t be eligible to contest due to the term limit as per the National Sports Code. During his term as AIFF president, effectively for 12 years, Patel took decisions that had significant consequences for Indian football.

In 2010, AIFF signed a ~700 crore contract with IMG-Reliance. The deal helped AIFF deal with a fund crunch but compromised its independence as a national sports federation. The Reliance-led Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), with whom the 15-year agreement was signed, led to the creation of a new tournament—the Indian Super League—in 2014. Patel insisted that the existing top-flight, I-League, would remain India’s top competition. Now in his final stretch as AIFF president—his term ends in December—Patel says he didn’t mislead I-League stakeholders.

Patel recently invited select journalists to his residence to discuss his stint as AIFF boss. During the interaction, Patel said India hosting the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 and the women’s edition in the age-group later this year, will have long-term benefits and that his tenure should be seen from a ‘broader perspective’ than the ‘narrow prism of I-League-ISL’.

Excerpts from an interview:

How do you assess your tenure?

We are confident whatever work has been done in the past eight to 10 years, we will see Indian football on a firm growth trajectory. The emphasis has been to have a strong pipeline of players who will form the nucleus of future national teams, men and women. Since we have focused on this in the last 5-7 years aggressively, we can say with confidence the performance of our national teams will be far better. It’s a very challenging time in Indian football because we were in a state of transition from a marginal to a robust footballing nation.

ISL was launched in your time. But many I-League clubs have gone. Do you regret not saving some of these traditional clubs?

FIFA and AFC both believe that for professional football to be sustainable and for the development of a game within a country, it is very important to have strong leagues backed by enough resources. With ISL, we could bring many new clubs into the football ecosystem. Some clubs have vanished even in the past, it has nothing to do with the ISL launch. Even when there was just the I-League, so many clubs were not able to sustain.

Even in ISL, of the eight founding clubs, three won’t be existing by the start of next season. Clubs continue to suffer losses of over ~30 crore on an average. Where is the evidence that ISL is sustainable?

How does it matter (that three ISL founding clubs won’t exist)? People are coming in. All I am trying to say is things evolve. Should we lower the standards of ISL? It (sustainability) will happen over a period of time. If a good ISL club loses ~ 25-30 crore a year, it is nothing compared to the money teams lose on the global stage.

You said in 2014 that ISL was just a ‘disruptor’ and I-League would always be top-flight. Wasn’t your assurance misleading?

Nothing was misleading. You should focus on the larger things. Don’t judge Indian football from a narrow window. What I said in 2014, I-League at that time was the only league, there was no other league. When the other league came up, then you had to look at the two leagues and judge it with a broader view. Across India football coverage is limited to I-League and ISL, the larger picture is neglected. We can’t talk of football in bits and pieces. For example, when a FIFA U-17 World Cup happens, do you think there is no long-term benefit?

What are the long-term benefits of hosting the U-17 World Cup?

You can’t quantify. There is a pipeline of players available for the future. There are TV viewers, upgradation of infrastructure; there is a cumulative build-up.

Isn’t it AIFF’s job to help build a player pool beyond hosting a FIFA event?

You think we didn’t do anything before the U-17 World Cup? I can’t explain how much of grassroots activity is taking place across the country.

AIFF rushed to build the team for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (2020) as there was no team before you got hosting rights?

It is only for girls. Last two years, this (scouting) has been going on. For boys, it was going on for four to five years. I don’t know which other way to do it. My point is if you look at the overall ecosystem, what we are doing is far bigger than what meets the eye. You are only talking about what is the result today. I am talking about what will happen in five years. Indian football will have made a dramatic and radical shift for the better. In the last five years, the whole focus has moved away from the game to ISL and I-League.

Doesn’t what happens in ISL, I-League affect Indian football?

It doesn’t. Which player is getting affected? Any player who wants to play is getting an opportunity to play wherever he chooses. It’s a free market. They get better pay. What is wrong? Why are new clubs coming? Clubs come, clubs go.

We’ve never qualified for a FIFA tournament on merit.

With the things that we are doing, it will eventually happen. Now all age-group leagues, baby leagues are taking place. Once these young players grow up, there will be a steady pipeline.

You once said India can qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Do you believe that can happen when India have qualified for only two Asian Cups since 1984?

Even now I am saying we should aspire to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Shouldn’t we have aspirations? If there is an 18-20-year-old player and he is doing well, then by 2026 the India team may be able to qualify as there will be an expanded World Cup. Eight teams from Asia will go; if India can break into the top eight, then maybe we can go to the World Cup. There is a cynical view and there is a positive view to it; I am looking at it positively.

How do you look at the work done in women’s football?

So many things have been done. The number of teams participating in the qualifying rounds of the Indian Women’s League has increased. We want to improve IWL. Today an Indian woman (Bala Devi) is playing for Rangers.

How can AIFF claim credit for what one player does?

We can’t take credit but you don’t know how much effort has gone into ensuring this. So tomorrow if (Sunil) Chhetri scores 100 goals, you will say you can’t take credit, the Indian side can’t take credit, only Chhetri can take credit? It’s the Indian team he is playing for. There will be many more players like Bala Devi coming up.

Few state units are proactive when it comes to the women’s game. Some state leagues have just five teams…

We have to be tolerant because all states don’t have resources. We don’t have money that we can give to states. It’s alright; things are getting better. Barring a few, I am happy with most state units.

SAI provides funds to federations, including AIFF, for exposure tours. Can’t these funds be used better domestically?

They don’t allow (funds to be used domestically), what can we do? I would say we should get more money from the sports ministry for promotion of football.

Are there enough jobs for Indian coaches with most clubs preferring foreigners?

Indian coaches will work here or can go abroad. You are giving them a good certificate, a good career opportunity. Not just India, somebody can go to Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka or to central Asian countries also, for example. And there is nothing wrong with bringing in international coaches for clubs.