In 1888, India held the first ever Durand Cup. Almost every year since then, spectators have watched for free, and last year’s winners were awarded Rs. 50 lakh as prize money. Once the British left, the Indian Armed Forces took over, and they have done a great job of keeping the cup and the sport alive for over 125 years. Unfortunately, this year the Durand Cup will not be played. Ironically, while the age-old football tournament was being cancelled, the city of Kolkata was getting ready to welcome football legend Pelé back to their city after 38 long years.
Pelé with Sourav Ganguly, former Indian cricket captain, and Sanjiv Goenka, owner of Atlético de Kolkata
Image Credit: The Hindu
In India, we see crowds of people standing on roads, glued to television sets in restaurants when a cricket match is on. There is a common sense of pride that comes when the boys in blue display great skill and capability on the cricket pitch. Unfortunately, the same sense of excitement is difficult to muster amongst Indian youth when you talk about football. Football in India hasn’t always been such a weak sport. In 1956, India’s national team came fourth in the Melbourne Olympics. In 1977, Mohun Bagan’s friendly match against Pelé’s New York Cosmos ended in a 2-2 draw. Since then however, it has all been downhill. India’s current FIFA rank is 167, and we have lost World Cup qualifier matches to teams like Guam and Turkmenistan.
On his visit, Pelé attended Atlético de Kolkata’s first home match of the Indian Super League, where the team managed a 2-1 victory over Kerala Blasters FC. He also attended a grand celebration at the Netaji Indoor Stadium with former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, Grammy-winning composer A. R. Rahman, and owner of Atlético de Kolkata, Sanjiv Goenka. When asked what he thought could be done to develop the sport in the country, Pelé had great advice. He said that it was important to start working at the base and train the children for the future.
“You have to give players the chance to go abroad and play and gain experience. They can then come here and share their experiences. But, firstly, you have to support the base. You should have football in universities, schools and colleges. It is important to start the sport at the right level.” – Pelé
Pelé with Air Marshall Arup Roha at the Subroto Cup Final in Delhi
Image Credit: Pelé’s Facebook Page
While the Indian Super League has more Indians playing football than ever before, it does not seem to be enough to aid development of the sport in the country. The reason for this – the ISL is not a proper football league, and the 3-month long competition was not enough to impress the visiting Brazilian. He believes that to really test the talent of a footballer, it is important that he is subject to a traditional nine-month long league and all the ancillary competitions played alongside. Despite its short-run, Pelé is certain that the ISL can improve Indian football, albeit, not to a great extent.
Happy to be travelling despite health concerns, and spreading the message of peace and love through football, Pelé says he would be ready to come to India and help develop the sport in any way he possibly can. He was excited to be among the next generation of footballers, and ended his trip in India by presenting the Subroto Cup Trophy to the winners, the All India Football Federation’s Under 17 team. While Pelé’s visit to India will be something that every football-loving Indian will cherish, a lot more needs to be done to improve football in India at the grassroots.
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