2017 U-17 World Cup will enhance football's popularity in India, says AIFF secy
AIFF general secretary Kushal Das believes that hosting marquee events like the U-17 FIFA WC in 2017 and probably the U-20 FIFA WC in the near future will enhance football’s popularity in India. He also said that the success of Bengaluru FC will give football further impetus in the nation.
Despite India’s failure in the international circuit, football has always been a popular sport in India. Starting from the club football rivalry to the introduction of Indian Super League (ISL), the popularity of Indian football is on the rise. India have now also got the chance to host the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
AIFF secretary Kushal Das believes that tournaments like the Under-17 world cup will take Indian football forward.
Das said, "Over the last few years, football has emerged as a popular sport for city-based youngsters and India's hosting of some key competitions in the years preceding the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar will exponentially enhance the profile of the sport among them,” reported PTI.
Das, who became the AIFF secretary in 2010 after serving as the chief financial officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC) said that 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will directly funnel benefits to India due to its geographical proximity to the country.
"The Honourable AIFF President Praful Patel has expressed his interest in bidding for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, and chances are very high that India would host the tournament before Qatar hosts Asia's second ever World Cup," he said.
"The potential hosting of the Under-20 World Cup will give India further impetus to ramp up football infrastructure and broaden grassroots initiatives such as Mission Eleven Million, which, in turn, will help to reinforce the new metropolitan football culture."
Giving the example of the huge fanbase of AFC Cup finalist Bengaluru FC, Das said that the sport is fast gaining in popularity in the cities.
"I-League champions and AFC Cup finalists Bengaluru FC have a huge fanbase that includes travelling support as well," he said.
"The Indian Super League team from Chennai, Chennaiyin FC, has consistently had attendances of over 20,000 across all three seasons of the league. Delhi Dynamos have had reasonable crowds this year and Mumbai City FC has had capacity turnout in their new stadium.
"A substantial number of these new fans are the urban youth and they are a peaceful, fun-loving audience, with women accounting for nearly 50 percent. The emerging urban Indian football demography, therefore, fits in nicely with the family-oriented Middle East World Cup that is being envisaged in 2022."
Das said that the 2022 World Cup will act as a force to change the public perception of the sport.
"In Mexico 1970, when I was 10, there was no television and I listened to a live radio broadcast in Spanish of Pele playing against Italy in the final and could understand only when the commentators shouted 'goal'.
"In Mexico 1986, some of my friends watched the magic of Maradona on colour television as 10-year-olds, but watching the greats live in the stadium was a distant dream.
"However, for Indian kids born in 2012, watching Neymar in 2022 will be almost like travelling from one Indian city to another. Living in one of the fastest growing major economies of the world, their parents will have the disposable income to travel to Qatar and the Middle East, a region with many similar cultural traits,” he said, reported PTI.
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