What lacks Indian Football: A mystery???

What lacks Indian Football: A mystery???

Nowadays lot of people on Facebook, Twitter and other social Networking sites talk about Indian Football not developing because of people's attitude to play and enjoy cricket more.

So a thought came to my mind as to why not find out facts and figures which may have resulted in the current state of affairs Indian Football suffers from. Also I thought it could be an eye opener for some who think Indian Football lacks money or support.

Football has a great history in India with the likes of Kolkata based clubs Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Also some clubs in Goa, Kerala and the North East have been in existence for ages. Still we have not been able to create a side which is forget threatening in the World or Asia stage but even in the small part of South East Asia we are in. Currently the Men's National team is ranked 162 and in the last 20-25 years the highest rank we achieved was 100 way back in 1993. 

If we look at the recent results for the past two years we will understand why we are ranked so low-

Source-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_national_football_team_results

The above results are after the start of much hyped ISL in 2015. So the complain that Indian players never got the chance to play big league games can be negated. In ISL all players were paid decent money, fed proper diet, made to stay in the best of hotels and were continuously in the limelight. Although all these things shouldn't have mattered but this was a complaint from the Indian Footballing fraternity that there were lack of attention.Its true that the results of ISL or I league might not show immediately but please; the above results are way below the standard of a country which has reached Mars.

We have lost to or drawn with countries like Bangladesh, Guam, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Palestine etc. Forget a proper footballing structure, some of these countries like Bangladesh and Nepal do  not offer a proper standard of living still we aren't able to compete against them.

The last game we lost to was against Turkmenistan a country which separated from USSR in the early nineties and played their first match only in the year 1992. 

The GDP of that country is less than only Rajasthan but still they are ranked well above us at 128. If you are thinking the players are paid well then think again because what  I league and ISL players make in six months the club players in Turkmenistan make in a year or two. 

If we go before 2015 then the results become even more sad. We have been beaten by countries like Azerbaijan, Zambia etc. If somebody says that there would have been more money in those two countries spent on Football then he/she must be joking.

If we look at all the records then it will come to light that the Men's National Football Team has performed abysmally for more than 90 years and continues to do that even now. Following is the overall record-

Matches Played	Won	Drawn	Lost
478	157	106	215

So when a team draws or loses 70% of its all games for the past 90 years then how can they expect support from fans, administration, Govt, Corporate, Media etc.

I know some blind supporters will question that money should come first then the development will happen however I ask them on what basis the money would have come. 

In sports be it at individual, club or national level there has to be some promise, some hope, some skills from the players for their backers to see otherwise it is foolish to expect money and adulation to come.

Even Messi or C Ronaldo who are now paid heavily had to start on their own display the skills they had and then the money followed. 

Summarizing the above I think we need to understand that India can never be a force to reckon with in the field of Football and all aspirations should be laid to rest. Although we pray and wish every moment the fortunes of Indian Football changes around.   

Regards
A disheartened football fan.