Major league hopefuls

India has several footballers waiting on the sidelines to follow Chhetri to the north American leagues.

Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri’s recent recruitment to the United States’ Major League Soccer (MLS) did not involve the sort of money and hype that surrounded David Beckham’s entry into the top-flight US football league. More modestly, though, Chhetri’s selection may well pave the path for other Indian players to ply their trade on the other side of the Atlantic.

Already, names like Subrata Paul, Gourmangi Singh and Steven Dias are doing the rounds as possible candidates for north American football teams (or soccer as they call it there to distinguish it from the more popular American football).

Recently, Vancouver Whitecaps FC gave Pune FC’s Subrata Paul the chance to prove he can follow Sunil Chhetri. Paul, India’s number one goalkeeper, could have been offered a deal if he attracted more than passing attention during the 10-day trial. But he had second thoughts because the transfer season in Canada ends on April 15, bang in the middle of the Indian season.

Attacking midfielder Steven Dias was reportedly the first to sign up with US-based Libero Sports, a FIFA-registered agency, and is now awaiting a call either for trials or a permanent move outside India. “I am keeping faith,” said the Mahindra United midfielder.

Steven Dias (born December 1983) played in the National Football League (now called the I-League) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) cup. Dias made his debut for India in 2006 and was a part of the team that unsuccessfully attempted to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2007. He played in India’s first Nehru Cup title in 2007, scoring twice in a 6-0 win over Cambodia.

Gouramangi Singh (born on January 1986), too, is expecting a call from the US. Singh is a full back for I-League team Churchill Brothers SC. A product of the Tata Football Academy in Jamshedpur, he has plied his trade with many Indian clubs, including Dempo SC.

Singh first rose to prominence when he captained the winning under-18 Indian team for the Ian Rush Trophy in 2003. He played in the Olympic qualifiers for the Indian under-23 team where his defending allowed India to earn an unlikely 1-1 draw with Iraq.

Others, like 26-year-old Ishfaq Ahmed (Mohun Bagan), 23-year-old Lal Kamal Bhowmick (Chirag United), 27-year-old NP Pradeep (Mahindra United) and 29-year-old Abhishek Yadav (Mumbai FC) are also hoping that the next call on their mobiles is from the US.

There are also a host of younger players with MLS potential. “Players in the 14 to 20 age group are showing a lot of potential in their ability to bag international contracts. Players from Tata Football Academy, like Raju Gaekwad, should be able to go on to make it big,” says Mumbai Football Club, Head of Business Development, Mukul Choudhari.

Gaekwad plays for East Bengal which reportedly invested Rs 40 lakh on the big-bodied defender who is known for his long throws. He attracted attention when he made the squad for the India under-19 and the SAF Games in Dhaka.

While this potential talent suggests hope for the future of Indian football, it is also worth noting that none of the players measure up to the far higher standards of even the smaller European leagues. So far, only two Indian footballers have played there — Indian captain Baichung Bhutia passed an undistinguished season in second-division Bury FC and Mohammed Salim in Celtic, the first division Scottish League team.

Compare this with the tally for less developed nations. Nigeria, for instance, has more than half a dozen players in top-flight European football clubs and Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Senegal are pretty well represented too.

Indian football clubs say the dearth of domestic footballing exports is a combination of institutional and individual troubles. Lack of professionalism, seriousness to pursue the game as a career and poor infrastructure in India are central to why the country is languishing between 130 and 135 in world football rankings.

Regular sponsors, like UB Group and Nike, feel that Indian football lacks strong corporate interest.

While United Breweries owns Kingfisher East Bengal, United Spirits owns McDowell Mohun Bagan. Kingfisher also works with the Goa Football League and Lajong FC in Shillong.

UB Group will not disclose how much it invests in Indian soccer every year, but sportswear manufacturer Nike has put in nearly Rs 200 crore in Indian football over five years since December 2005.

However, Indian football clubs maintain that overseas contracts are a function of the standard of the game. “Indian soccer players have a long way to go in terms of skill development before they can be readily picked up by international clubs,” said Lajong Football Club’s Manager of Operations Andrew Suting.

Lack of infrastructure also plays its part in keeping standards low. Choudhari of Mumbai Football Club said, “We have only one stadium in Mumbai. Then Kolkata has one artificial turf in Salt Lake. But in other countries these problems do not exist.”