The expectation that Indian Super League soccer promises to do for Indian football what the Indian Premier League did for cricket is a touch fanciful at this nascent stage when Indian football languishes at 145 in FIFA world rankings. However, the fact that such a league is set to get off the ground at all is testimony to how the sporting economy is now looking far beyond cricket to promote professional leagues.
It may take decades for India to rise as a world football power, but from now we can at least say someone is trying to change the scenario that has been cricket-heavy for too long. An array of Bollywood and cricket stars have bought into franchises in the eight-city league. With sports television backing it, there should be enough money to make it worthwhile for players although the marquee stars will be earning far more than the local players at the start.
The international stars who will head to the Indian league will be retired players whose best days are long behind them. Even so, they would bring their experience and technical skills to teach Indian players a lot in the beautiful game and how it is played worldwide at standards far higher than here. With franchises to spend at least the stipulated Rs 2 crore per year on the game’s grassroots, there is a fair chance that the emerging generation of players will benefit greatly. The point is there are plans for the future, which an impoverished AIFF never really had.
