This post was written by Ishaan Mahadevan, a contributor for Power Forward.
India, a population of 1.2 billion people, is primarily known for its cricket team being the number one team in the world and for being the home of the worlds’ biggest film industry: Bollywood. Yet, India is not well known for its football (soccer). India is only ranked 152nd in the world and only qualified for the 1950 World Cup, to which they refused to play because FIFA did not allow them to play with their bare feet.
If India can produce star cricket players like Sachin Tendukar, then why can’t the second biggest country in the world can’t produce 11 great players to compete at the World Cup? Though a majority of Indians love the beautiful game, soccer is not as popular as Cricket and Bollywood. In India, Bollywood Stars endorse Indian Premier League teams (The World’s first club-cricket league, thus increasing the popularity of cricket in India.) Yet, just started a month ago was a new hope of soccer becoming popular in India: The Hero Indian Super League.
Former Juve Star Alessandro Del Piero surrounded by Atletico de Kolkata Players.
The Hero Indian Super league features 8 teams which are part owned by famous Bollywood Actors, businessmen, and cricketers. The popularity of this Indian league has even attracted former World Cup winners like Alessandro Del Piero (both part of Italy’s 2006 World Cup team), and Joan Capdevilla (one of the few non Barcelona/Real Madrid Players on Spain’s 2010 World Cup squad) to finish their careers in India. Along with the likes of former Arsenal stars Nicolas Anelka & Freddie Ljungberg, this league has attracted the Indian soccer fans to pack their local team stadiums. The star power of these European players may as well help inspire the domestic Indian players to develop their game and hopefully produce for the Indian National team. Even more, few of these European stars are player coaches, such as former England shots stopper David James (Kerala Blasters) and the (in)famous Italian World Cup winner Marco Matterazzi (FC Chennaiyin).
Already, there has been an elaborate opening ceremony featuring the performance of Priyanka Chopra (Miss World 2000). Attended by many big Bollywood stars like Hrithik Roshan (some may call him the Tom Cruise of Bollywood), and Abhishek Bachan (others may refer to him as Bollywood’s Brad Pitt), the opening match of the ISL did not fail to deliver as top dogs Atletico de Kolkata (owned by 2014 Champions League runners up Atlético Madrid), convincingly won against Ranbir Kapoor’s Mumbai City FC (coached by Peter Reid), 3-0.
Yet, looking at the stats already, it seems like the domestic Indian players are being outmatched their foreign counterparts. So far there has been a few Indian goal scorers, including Subash Singh’s goal for FC Goa. Chennaiyin FC’s Elano Blumer is leading the scoring charts, with his hat trick against Hrithik Roshan’s FC Pune City.
Hrithik Roshan, a Bollywood actor and owner of FC Pune City.
Some might say this is bad for the development of Indian soccer players. They might suggest that the Hero Indian Super league may transform into a league where the many aging European soccer stars can play the last few years of their career. Already being endorsed by Bollywood Stars, the Indian super league may suggest otherwise that it is here for the Indian people, and Indian soccer. It is good for these Indian players to play alongside with these former European stars who have experience at the highest level. Speaking in economic terms, it is important to have this European human capital to help develop the talent of these young Indian players. Eventually, these young players may pursue their trade by playing in Europe’s top leagues. This in return may help increase the popularity of soccer in India.
Ranbir Kapoor launched FC Mumbai City, a dream come true for the Bollywood actor and soccer fan.
This may be the first season of Hero Indian Super league, yet the Indian league already attracting the attention of all of India. The potential development of Indian soccer players could help the Indian national team to produce results that may uplift them in the FIFA rankings and maybe sooner or later participate in their first World Cup. Sooner or later, India may become one of Asia’s soccer powerhouses along with Japan, South Korea, and Australia. Can the Hero Indian Super league be the “Jai Ho” India needs?
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