Passion for football is growing in India, says Luis Garcia
Luis Garcia is of the opinion that there is a rise in the passion for football among the Indians at this stage and the youngsters need someone like Sunil Chhetri to look up to. The former midfielder also opined that Chhetri should be involved actively with the sport even after taking retirement.
India made it to the AFC Asian Cup this year and had a brilliant start to the tournament as well by getting the better of Thailand by a score of 4-1. However, the performance by the Blue Tigers faded away going ahead and they were knocked out of the prestigious event after losing to the UAE and Bahrain in the second and third encounters respectively.Â
As always, Chhetri was one of the top performers for the Indians in the tournament and former Barcelona and Liverpool player Garcia underlined the fact that the striker has been an inspiration for many in the country where the youngsters don’t have too many idols to follow. He also spoke about the rise in popularity of football in India during the inauguration of Barca Academy Asia-Pacific tournament.
"He is there now and the rest of players look up to him, you need someone, you have to have an idol and here in India you don't have many. At this stage, the passion for football in India is growing. So, follow him, he must be a mentor in the next two-three years. We know he is still playing but when he retires, he should be the player who is next to the national team and be actively involved,” Garcia told PTI.Â
"India has got tremendous talent and I am glad to see so much footballing action in this country. Grassroots football helps develop great players. A tournament of this scale reassures players of great opportunities. It also works as a catalyst to create infrastructure needed to nurture the talent."
In total of 48 teams from countries like Australia, Japan, China, Spain, Singapore and India will be taking part in the Barca Academy Asia-Pacific tournament in Under 9, Under 11, Under 13 and Under 15 categories in New Delhi.Â
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