Indians have been playing football as long as Brazilians or Argentinians. But India is nowhere in the world football scene. Why is the standard of our football so low ? We are said to be 156th in the world rankings. We have never even qualified to play in the World Cup. No Indian footballer has ever played in a European or South American team. Baichung Bhutia was selected by Bury, a low ranking English team, but he was kept on the benches.
I asked this question to P.K. Banerji, former Indian football captain, and former player for Mohun Bagan, when he came to Allahabad in the 1990s, when I was a judge in the Allahabad High Court. At that time he was manager of the Mohun Bagan team, and he had come to Allahabad with the team which played a friendly match with another team.
P. K. Banerji said that this was because of short height and slim bodies of Indians.
I was not at all satisfied with this answer. I think Indian football will never come up to the front ranks in the world unless something drastic is done.
I asked this question to P.K. Banerji, former Indian football captain, and former player for Mohun Bagan, when he came to Allahabad in the 1990s, when I was a judge in the Allahabad High Court. At that time he was manager of the Mohun Bagan team, and he had come to Allahabad with the team which played a friendly match with another team.
P. K. Banerji said that this was because of short height and slim bodies of Indians.
I was not at all satisfied with this answer. I think Indian football will never come up to the front ranks in the world unless something drastic is done.
