Cricket came to India in the British ships. Today, Indian cricket team has gained a lot of potential and stands a chance to imbibe fear in any other cricket team on a global level. However, when it comes to football, Indian team puts the country to shame.
FIFA ranks 206 countries i.e. almost every nation on this planet for their ability to prove themselves on the field. India ranks behind countries like Afghanistan and Nepal with a rank of 169, but still is ahead of its territorial rival, Pakistan, which stands at 177.
Football is a very easy game to understand, as compared to cricket. Football also does not demand so many equipment and paraphernalia like cricket does. All it requires is a ball, a decent pair of shoes and any shaped ground to practice it. This is why football was adapted even by the poorest of countries like Brazil, Chile etc., and still they have marked their name in golden letter in the world of football.
Although cricket was the game of the British in India, their way of passing time apart from cricket was to play football. They did not allow Indians to play this game. The first ever recorded game in India was played between 'Calcutta Club of Civilians' and 'Gentlemen of Barrackpore'.
Between the founding of 'Calcutta Football Club' (CFC), 1872 and the first game played was a famed revolutionary activity by the Indians, which extirpated sections of the British empire- the uprising of 1857. This revolution was majorly led by Bengali officers.
After gathering their wits post uprising, the British came up with a new initiative: to make British games mandatory along with English education. By 1870, Calcutta had become a hub of Indian football, which even today is the home for most of the enthused footballers of the country. Calcutta is also home to the world's largest football arena with a capacity of whooping 1,20,000 enthusiasts.
By 1889, the natives had formed their first team: Mohun Bagan. In 1911, this team won the IFA Shield beating a regimental squad, the first victory of any Asian team against the British.
In 1953, the defender Sailen Manna of Mohun Bagan and the Indian team, was among the top 10 skippers of world football according to the English Football Association. This was a miniscule feat as compared to what came next. Manna had led his barefoot India team to the 1948 Olympics, losing by a whisker to France and to gold at the 1951 Asian Games.
Till the 1980s it was unclear if cricket was more popular than football, but this is when the caste system crept in the sporting industry. Cricket was believed to be a gentleman's sport, while football was taken as a sport was the grass-roots.
Economically, this made it easier for cricket foundations to raise funds for cricket tournaments, while football struggled way too much in vain. Cricket was thus encouraged by the parents for their kids and football always got cornered. This ancient perception of football is today affecting the football associations and foundations in no good way.
Then two events that took place in the history of Indian sporting industry, kicked the struggling football off the ladder of fame.
1. 1978 World Cup in Argentina qualified India for football. But, the cleft between the standards of play, power and tactics of Indian football team as compared to others made football lesser appealing to the mass.
2. India's commendable victory in the 1983 World Cup in cricket made India a world champion at some sport. Never mind the less than a dozen of countries that comprised this "world", India was still a world-best in cricket for the Indian mass.
These events made it clear for the money-makers about the source that will bring them more money: cricket.
Yet, this has a potential to change. Today's youth are drawn largely towards the leading football clubs and teams in Europe. But, they have a negligible chance of watching Mohun Bagan play. Today's crowd is not just following football with a passion that they lack for cricket, but they are also playing it well. It is a proud achievement by the Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri who is selected to play with the club that gave shape to Cristiano Ronaldo's success, Sporting CP B.
It is time for football to be the most-loved sport for the Indians.
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FIFA ranks 206 countries i.e. almost every nation on this planet for their ability to prove themselves on the field. India ranks behind countries like Afghanistan and Nepal with a rank of 169, but still is ahead of its territorial rival, Pakistan, which stands at 177.
Football is a very easy game to understand, as compared to cricket. Football also does not demand so many equipment and paraphernalia like cricket does. All it requires is a ball, a decent pair of shoes and any shaped ground to practice it. This is why football was adapted even by the poorest of countries like Brazil, Chile etc., and still they have marked their name in golden letter in the world of football.
Although cricket was the game of the British in India, their way of passing time apart from cricket was to play football. They did not allow Indians to play this game. The first ever recorded game in India was played between 'Calcutta Club of Civilians' and 'Gentlemen of Barrackpore'.
Between the founding of 'Calcutta Football Club' (CFC), 1872 and the first game played was a famed revolutionary activity by the Indians, which extirpated sections of the British empire- the uprising of 1857. This revolution was majorly led by Bengali officers.
After gathering their wits post uprising, the British came up with a new initiative: to make British games mandatory along with English education. By 1870, Calcutta had become a hub of Indian football, which even today is the home for most of the enthused footballers of the country. Calcutta is also home to the world's largest football arena with a capacity of whooping 1,20,000 enthusiasts.
By 1889, the natives had formed their first team: Mohun Bagan. In 1911, this team won the IFA Shield beating a regimental squad, the first victory of any Asian team against the British.
In 1953, the defender Sailen Manna of Mohun Bagan and the Indian team, was among the top 10 skippers of world football according to the English Football Association. This was a miniscule feat as compared to what came next. Manna had led his barefoot India team to the 1948 Olympics, losing by a whisker to France and to gold at the 1951 Asian Games.
Till the 1980s it was unclear if cricket was more popular than football, but this is when the caste system crept in the sporting industry. Cricket was believed to be a gentleman's sport, while football was taken as a sport was the grass-roots.
Economically, this made it easier for cricket foundations to raise funds for cricket tournaments, while football struggled way too much in vain. Cricket was thus encouraged by the parents for their kids and football always got cornered. This ancient perception of football is today affecting the football associations and foundations in no good way.
Then two events that took place in the history of Indian sporting industry, kicked the struggling football off the ladder of fame.
1. 1978 World Cup in Argentina qualified India for football. But, the cleft between the standards of play, power and tactics of Indian football team as compared to others made football lesser appealing to the mass.
2. India's commendable victory in the 1983 World Cup in cricket made India a world champion at some sport. Never mind the less than a dozen of countries that comprised this "world", India was still a world-best in cricket for the Indian mass.
These events made it clear for the money-makers about the source that will bring them more money: cricket.
Yet, this has a potential to change. Today's youth are drawn largely towards the leading football clubs and teams in Europe. But, they have a negligible chance of watching Mohun Bagan play. Today's crowd is not just following football with a passion that they lack for cricket, but they are also playing it well. It is a proud achievement by the Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri who is selected to play with the club that gave shape to Cristiano Ronaldo's success, Sporting CP B.
It is time for football to be the most-loved sport for the Indians.
And, of course,football is a faster game than cricket making it just better to watch/play
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