After blanking off Mohun Bagan 2-0 this afternoon, Sao Paulo Football Club (SPFC) from Brazil completes the rout of 3 major Kolkata clubs. They earlier defeated East Bengal 3-0 and Mohammedan Sporting 6-0.
Notably, there are many Brazilians associated with Kolkata teams. The two coaches of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan and the captain of Mohun Bagan are all from Brazil. Incidentally, our PM on a visit some time back to Brazil had agreed to an understanding with that country for help and support to jack up India’s football fortune (see my post, Football ties with Brazil). Perhaps as a follow-up to that is the present visit of SPFC to India.
Today’s match marks a certain lack of luster compared to earlier ones with respect to Brazil’s team’s football skill on the field. Mohun Bagan’s defense has been pretty good facing the onslaught of the rival team, especially after being reduced to 10 men because of sending-off of Baichung Bhutia for committing petty fouls.
For various reasons, interest in soccer is very much on the decline in Bengal, once considered the Mecca of Indian football, not the least because of less money to be earned playing the game compared to cricket. Which means unless there is enough monetary lure to ensure a decent long-term career engaging in football, the drought of talent and its nurture will continue.
Football clubs need money not only to fund their senior team, but more importantly to start academies to locate and bring up future football talents like Jamshedpur’s Tata Football Academy.
What is happening instead is that the clubs garner just about enough to support their senior football team, leaving paltry sums for talent hunt from among promising youngsters for tomorrow.
This has to change if we’re to be among the football prowess at least in Asia, if not in the world in a decade’s time. If and when that happens, it will bring the tide of cheer and support back to football, the beautiful game of 3 S’s, speed, skill and stamina. In my belief, being the athletic game that it is, an upsurge in football will also bring interest in other games and sports. Cricket can never do this.
To see a CNN-IBN video about SPFC on their arrival to India, click here.
Technorati Tags: sao paulo football club, football, east bengal, mohun bagan, indian football, kolkata, calcutta
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