The wait is almost over. FIFA World Cup- the greatest sporting event on earth will kick-off within 24 hours. I am eagerly waiting. But, there are few questions which has overloaded my inbox. Dada, amra kobe khelbo(when will we play)?, Amra keno sudhu dekhbo r bideshi team ke support korbo (why cant we not participate and can only support foreign teams)? I have something to say to you all. It will be a bit long, but please read. 1. Issues regarding infrastructure: Yes, apart from Goa, West Bengal and North-East states, there are no infrastructures at all in India. As I have been in the technical committee of AIFF, I have seen investments from different houses is an issue as throughout the country the viewership is less. Even most of the football-lovers love European leagues. So, here AIFF and State must take the responsibility. The good news for us is our West Bengal Govt. has initiated a football academy (at Khardah), which will bear all kind of responsibilities of the selected talented footballers. Apart from FIFA-AIFF projects, other state govt. and central govt. should also come forward together. Because we need to provide world-class infrastructure to the youths to make them world-class. 2. Physical aspect and training: Footballers must have certain physical strength and genetically we are not so well-built. Fitness and proper nutrition is also an issue. So, physios should be there from even the training centres. Family, relatives and neighbours have to look out if the footballer is receiving adequate food for his training. Apart from technicality, we need world-class gyms. I must say, East Bengal F.C. done extremely well by building the world-class Gym. After becoming M.P., what I have tried is to provide Gyms to even the smallest football-clubs. Like if someone is trained by Leg-press machine, the calf muscle and Quadriceps are developed much faster and these are essential for long-rangers. I must say, other MPs, MLAs and Sports Ministry have also worked a lot on these. 3. Football as career: First of all, we need to give the emerging footballers the assurance that they can take football as a profession, they dont have to use the sports-quota to gain a job and then leave football. In a poor country like us, all of us need earnings. But, even now, Football doesnt provide so much money as Cricket, but again it provides more earnings than other Olympic games. Former footballers like me, Subrata Bhattacharya, Chuni Goswami and others worked in SBI, while my elder brother PK Banerjee worked in Indian Railways. There are plenty other examples of footballers working in PSUs, PSBs or Govt. institutes, as Football didnt give us the savings to spend rest of the life. Here, Govt. cannot do anything, Only raising of viewership, popularizing Indian football can do something. So, ISL is a hope to all of us as it will have money from some big corporate houses. 4. Mental and moral support to players even at local level: Go and watch even the local level tournament. Give them mental and moral support. Motivate them, praise them. Motivation is a great factor to thrive. Everyone, who care a bit about football, must see that even one local talent in their area shouldnt get wasted. I always attend every invitation from Football tournaments from all-over my constituency just to give them the mental boost they need. I request everyone to do the same. Last, but not the least, not only football, there are many sports which need attention. Its not something great if a country of more than a billion wins just 6 medals in the Olympic. Only blaming cricket is not the solution. It is not that when Cricket wasnt the most popular sports, we used to win some 100 medals in Olympic! Do encourage sporting talents, be with them. If not tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, we will be a sporting giant.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Jun 2014 20:07:36 +0000