Future looks bright for Wim Koevermans side
All is not lost for the future of Indian football after a disappointing run of results culminating in a loss against Nepal, for a start they’re not even out of the Championship.
Though admittedly after three very poor performances, Wim Koeverman’s men are in the semi-finals, set to face either the Maldives or Afghanistan.
Looking further ahead than than this tournament though, and you’ll find Indian football in a much improved state.
While It’s true that the 14 I-League clubs did all fail their national licensing tests and that Mumbai Tigers and Pailan Arrrows have disbanded this season.
The rest of the clubs have a year to fix the issues, more than enough time, given that some of the clubs are owned by India’s richest businesses not something that should present much of a problem financially either.
Though the clubs do not like to admit it, the one thing that will catapult Indian football into the next level is the IMG-R League.
With it’s focus on youth development, as well as bringing in Global stars, the new venture has the potential to establish a real passion for football in a country where cricket has ruled the the roost for centuries.
It is that passion combined with the wealth and expertise that the IMG-R League will bring in, that will inspire the next generation of Indian footballers to take another step towards becoming a major footballing nation.
Also,more importantly, in the short term, a major step away from tepid performances like we’ve just seen.
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