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The mood in the Indian camp is upbeat as the Sunil Chhetri-led side gets ready to begin its campaign against a higher ranked Tajikistan in the AFC Challenge Cuptournament at the Dasarath Stadium on Friday.   


India did not have a great outing in the two international friendlies against Azerbaijan and Oman, preceding the tournament, but coach Savio Medeira is confident that the team would come out all guns blazing against Tajikistan.  


“It was difficult for us to field the front line team in the two international friendlies, as most of our players were nursing some injuries. But now all of them have recovered. We have a full-strength side at our disposal,” Medeira said. 


India have a decent track record against Tajikistan in the previous edition of the tournament, winning one match and managing to draw the other.


Although placed 14 places higher than India at 140 in the FIFA rankings, Tajikistan should be aware of Chhetri’s boys. They are heavily dependent on Yusuf Rabiev, who is the all-time top scorer for the country.

India’s hopes of hosting the under-17 football World Cup in 2017 may receive a major boost should FIFA president Sepp Blatter, prime minister Manmohan Singh and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials have a successful talk in New Delhi on Friday.

Blatter will meet with the prime minister and then address the executive committee of the AIFF during his day-long visit to the capital. He is also expected to meet president Pratibha Patil and sports minister Ajay Maken.

The Swiss administrator has been keen on India playing host to major FIFA tournaments. The under-17 World Cup is seen as a major step in that direction. It is also likely to boost infrastructure in the country. This will be Blatter’s second visit to India after 2007.

“Any major tournament needs the government’s support. Blatter is expected to seek an assurance from the prime minister for India’s bid. He’d like to know how the AIFF and the government plan to utilise the opportunity to popularise the sport in India,” an AIFF official said.

The AIFF has submitted a bid to host the under-17 World Cup in 2017. Jamaica and Guatemala are the other nations in the fray.

The host country will be selected by FIFA’s executive committee next month. If awarded, it will be the biggest football tournament in India. It will also give India a ticket for participation, the first time in its history.

“The under-17 World Cup is one of the main topics on our agenda,” AIFF general secretary Kushal Das told DNA. “We have expressed our interest in hosting the tournament. It is very important for us to organise these events as it augurs well for the sport’s development. The FIFA president would like to know how well prepared we are in terms of infrastructure to host such a tournament.”

Kathmandu:  The mood in the Indian camp is upbeat as the Sunil Chhetri-led side gets ready to begin its campaign against a higher ranked Tajikistan in the AFC Challenge Cup football tournament at the Dasarath Stadium here on Friday.
India did not have a great outing in the two international friendlies against Azerbaijan and Oman, preceding the tournament, but coach Savio Medeira is confident that the team would come out all guns blazing against Tajikistan.
"It was difficult for us to field the front line team in the two international friendlies, as most of our players were nursing some injuries. But now all of them have recovered. We have a full-strength side at our disposal," Medeira said.



He added that the team will "fight till the last second" to overwhelm its rivals.
"The team is raring to go against Tajikistan. All the boys are charged up for the match. I am confident they will come out with their best.
"We will fight till the last second of the match. We would not give any chance to our rivals," he added.
The coach also revealed that coming a bit early for the tournament helped the team to get "acclimatised to the conditions". However, he said India will have to guard against complacency.
"Tajikistan are strong opponents. We need to stay alert in all the departments, especially defense. They have a very potent forward line and striker Yusuf Rabiev is a dangerous poacher.
"Whatever we have learnt in our preparation, we need to take it forward. We need to play as cohesive unit and learn to handle the pressure," he insisted.
The most essential aspect for them would be to get the combination right.
Karanjit Singh is most likely to be the first choice goalkeeper, while Samir Naik and Syed Rahim Nabi are likely to be the two wing-backs with Gourmangi Singh and Raju Gaikwad the two stoppers.
The four-man midfield is likely to be manned by Anthony Pereira, Adil Khan, Rocus Lamara and Francis Fernandes while Chhetri and Sushil Singh will start upfront.
A niggle to midio, Lalrindika Rlate, may be a cause of little worry to the Indian side but the coach remains confident of his team's chances against Tajikistan.
"Midfielder Lalrindika Rlate stays a bit suspect. He is suffering from a niggle and we haven't taken a decision as yet. The rest of the squad are all available and raring to go," he informed.
Although placed 14 places higher than India at 140 in the FIFA rankings, Tajikistan should be aware of Chhetri's boys.
They are heavily dependent on Yusuf Rabiev, who is the all-time top scorer for the country.
India have a decent track record against Tajikistan in the previous edition of the tournament, winning one match and managing to draw the other. And Chhetri remains confident that his team will put the right foot forward in tomorrow's match.
"We have come over here with only one objective and that is to win at any cost. We won't leave any stone unturned to achieve our goal. All the players including me would try to repeat our performance of the SAFF Championship," Chhetri said.

Indian footballing circles are in a frenzy as they prepare for FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s impending visit to India.

Blatter, on his second trip to India, the first being in 2007, has come to lay the groundwork for a bid by India for the U-17 World Cup in 2017, which if awarded to the country would definitely be the biggest football tournament to be hosted in the Indian sub-continent.

It would bring in new investment, and help improve infrastructure in the country. immensely.

However before we look at the potential positive outcomes from India hosting a World Cup, we must have a look at the present infrastructure.

What has happened to the FIFA approved projects announced during and since Sepp Blatter’s earlier visit to India? How have they or will impact the future of football in India? Goal.com has a look. Leys See What Goal.com Want To Say :)

         



“Win in India with India” - In 2007 when Sepp Blatter visited India, this scheme was his gift to the country, through which they hoped to solve the infrastructural issues. Since then FIFA has allotted to India eight artificial turfs and spent $8 million in total grants towards improving football infrastructure in India. These eight turfs were assigned to Mumbai, Shillong, Imphal, Bangalore, Goa (two pitches), Kolkata and Kolhapur. Some of these projects, like at Shillong and Bangalore, have been completed while it is close to completion in Mumbai and Imphal. Acquiring the land on lease for a period of 30 years was one of the pre-requisites and that proved to be one of the major hurdles for this project.

FIFA Goal Project – After the first Goal project, involving the construction of the AIFF headquarters in Delhi was completed, and subsequently inaugurated by Sepp Blatter in 2007, a second FIFA Goal project was launched in December 2006 involving construction of training facilities and administrative offices in the two states of Karnataka and Sikkim.

This project was expected to help augment the training facilities in these areas, but progress has been really slow in Sikkim and the venture is still under implementation, having come up against governmental red-tape and general apathy of the local authorities. However the Sikkim Goal project has now finally reached close to completion and might be ready for inauguration by April 2012, according to sources.

     




Regional and Elite Academies - When the FIFA president visited in 2007, he had stressed on how important infrastructure at the grassroots level was for any country to progress at the international level in football.

As a part of this exercise, an idea to set-up academies at various levels was mooted upon last year and finally four regional academies in India were given a green signal with FIFA’s backing. These were allotted to Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi (NCR) after a visit by a FIFA technical committee in mid-2011.

These centres are supposed to be operational from the end of March, and it remains to be seen how they impact Indian football. Meanwhile in phase 2, three more academies are to come up in Chandigarh, Kerala and Chennai by March 2013.

Scouting Program - Each of the above mentioned academies are expected to house 30-to-35 boys, and to select the right kind of talent, FIFA is also helping out the AIFF by setting up a guideline for the scouting process through which boys of the ages of 13-14 will be selected after a process involving football schools from across the country who shall be reviewed by the Indian footballing authorities prior to certification.

FIFA is even paying the salary of AIFF Academy Instructor Scott O'Donnell, who was previously the coach of Cambodia.

An elite academy, for which kids from the regional academy will be selected at the age of 16 has also been mooted. But concrete plans, including location of the academy haven’t yet been decided.

     




Cooperage Stadium – FIFA showed its largesse and commitment to Indian football when it sanctioned a $2 million grant for the renovation of the much neglected Cooperage stadium in Mumbai in April 2011.

One of the several artificial pitches that was approved for India under the 'Win in India with India' was also laid at the venue. However much work remains to be done and one hopes that the stadium is up and about before the next season's I-League.

Other offshoots of the 2007 visit - There are also a number of other initiatives running alongside 'Win in India with India. 'Vision India', which is part of the AFC's 'Vision Asia' programme, and FIFA's Goal, Com-Unity and FUTURO III programmes are already concentrating on the development of amateur football and regional football associations in the states of the Indian Union whereas various government bodies are prioritising the development of football in rural areas and Indian schools.

Training coaches, referees and technical directors will be another cornerstone of the initiative.

Dr.Shaji Prabhakaran, an Indian, has been appointed as FIFA's regional development officer for south and central Asia.

       




So what can be seen is that FIFA has shown genuine interest in improving general infrastructure in India, recognizing the potential for football in the country, however many of these projects are lagging behind in schedule due to apathy at the local level and if India is successful in their bid to host the 2017 U-17 World Cup then the authorities would definitely have to shake off their lethargy and roll their sleeves up to meet deadlines, which wouldn’t be relaxed for a major event.

SOURCE:GOAL.COM

Cricket is clearly not the flavour of the season for sport fans despite the fact that India is a cricket-crazy nation. With dismal performances and surprising comebacks, the unpredictable Indian team has both their game and big-ticket campaigns and sponsorships at stake.

First, Sahara sent shockwaves with a temporary pullout of IPL and now taking cue, one of the biggest sponsors, Pepsico, has ditched cricket for football with its first-ever football campaign in the country.

Pepsi's campaign "change the game" will now feature actor Ranbir Kapoor playing football rather than the usual suspects with the bat. The fact that Pepsi has selected to launch the second edition of the campaign featuring football rather than cricket only shows the immense popularity that football has garnered among the youth.

It also reflects the declining hold of cricket on youngistaan. The campaign will kick-start with a football-themed ad film that features the actor, also an avid footballer, and will be followed by a series of initiatives. The film brings alive the fun associated with football in true Pepsi style.

Deepika Warrier, executive director (marketing), Pepsico Beverages, India, said, "Pepsi has always taken the lead in celebrating newer and emerging youth platforms - from cricket to movies to music. The brand has successfully created memorable campaigns and experiences for youngistaan. Football is gaining immense popularity in india and being a youth soulmate, Pepsi is proud to be associated with the sport. with an exciting line-up of cricketing events, including IPL, ICC World Twenty20 and a host of thrilling football initiatives, Pepsi promises an action-filled, fun year."

Speaking about the campaign, Kapoor said, "Football is life for me and if i was not an actor, I would have loved to be a footballer. Football gives lessons on team work, determination and discipline besides being such an exciting sport. I am thrilled that pepsi is bringing the joy of football to india and am delighted to be a part of this campaign."

SOURCE: INDIATODAY.IN

Chhetri's first opportunity came in May 2009 when he went to the English Championship side Coventry for trials but was not taken on.

In August of the same year, Chhetri signed a three-year contract with the then-Championship side Queens Park Rangers only to have his work permit refused. The reason: India is not in the top 70 of the Fifa ranking and the British government only permits non-EU players if their country is rated better that 70th.

Most recently, Chhetri and his national team strike partner Jeje Lalpekhlua were invited for a six-day trial with the Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers last November.

According to Chhetri, the pair played in one game during their time in Glasgow and were supposed to travel with the team to face Hamburg in a friendly match, but they were unable to go to Germany because of more visa problems.

Ally McCoist, the Rangers manager, said on the club website at the time that he was happy with what he has seen from Chetri and Lalpekhlua.

"Sunil and Jeje did fine and showed up well in training," McCoist said.

"They showed some lovely touches and adapted to the different surroundings they experienced.

"They are away back home … but we will keep monitoring their situations and keep monitoring their performances back home.

"They will continue to play for their sides in India and it was great to have them both working with us as they are talented boys.

"It was a good experience for them and I think they certainly enjoyed it. They did absolutely fine."

Despite McCoist's kind words the pair headed back to India without a deal.

In the meantime Rangers have gone into administration and are currently under a transfer embargo.

But Chhetri remains hopeful that he can make the breakthrough on the European stage.

"There is nothing that I can do but to wait until the end of the I-League in May and see what happens then," he said.

Anglian Holdings, an NRI owner multi-national corporation, acquired 25% stake in Shillong Lajong, an I-League club currently placed tenth on the table.

Lajong have also joined hands with Denmark’s FC Vestsjælland, who are so to say a sister club with Anglian Holdings being the shareholder.

“We want to set an example in Indian football through our youth development programmes. We want players from our academy to shape the future of Indian football,”  Larsing Ming, the general secretary of Lajong said.

“We have long-term plans with both clubs. We want to see young Indians being capable of competing at the highest level,” Dhruv Ratra, CEO of the company’s sports and marketing division said.

“We will be actively engaged in scouting, training and promoting football talent, using Lajong and FCV as channels to take Indian football to the world,” added Ratra.