Indian football in 2010 witnesses off-field developments

In the year of the World Cup, the All India Football Federation took an important step towards developing the sport at grassroot level by investing in it, something that should have happened a long time back.

The year also witnessed a change in guard at the Football House when Kushal Das succeeded Alberto Colaco as the general secretary of the AIFF. His appointment raised expectations and rekindled hope.

Das, a former chief financial officer with International Management Group (IMG) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), is expected to bring in more professionalism into the functioning of the AIFF.

Under the leadership of Das and President Praful Patel, AIFF sold its sponsorship and marketing deal for a whopping sum for a period of 15 years.

However, there is nothing much worth mentioning as far as individual achievements were concerned in the year 2010, except, prolific national team striker Sunil Chhetri nearly realised his great American dream when he was called for trial by Major League Soccer club, Kansas City Wizards, only to miss out on final selection.

But another good news came in the way of getting a national team T-shirt sponsor.

Thanks to the three-year deal which stated that India have to play at least six international matches in a year, Bob Houghton's boys, as part of their preparations for next month's Asian Cup, got opportunities to play against some of the higher ranked teams in Asia.

Continuing with its exposure trips, the national team toured Portugal where the players got opportunities to train in world class facilities and play against the second and third division clubs in the Iberian country. This was the third time over the past four years that Houghton and his boys travelled to Portugal.

Keeping an eye on the future, the apex body also formed a I-League team of its own named AIFF XI, a squad made up of teens and a little beyond with the aim of testing these youngsters and groom them for top international tournaments by exposing them to the rigours of 26-match home and away league and club them against some of the top sides in the country.

While Indian football took some important steps away from the field, the national team struggled whenever they took to the field.

The performance of the national team in the international friendlies over the past couple of months has been galling.