India takes the Penalty!!! All you need to know about the FIFA Under-17 World Cup and Its importance for India

I have fond memories of the 33rd National Games in Guwahati. My city was decorated like a bride. A well maintained traffic system, clean roads and a plethora of sportstars in the city. It was more of an extended celebration for most citizens. And more recently, the first season of the ISL, Guwahati  had never seen something so grand. Be it the football stars or our very own Bollywood heroes, people thronged to the stadium to have a glimpse of them. Even my friends in Delhi have similar memories of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Come October 2017, the country is set to experience one of the biggest sporting extravaganza it has ever seen. India is all set to host the 17th edition of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Let’s put the grand event is numbers –

1. It started in 1985 as the FIFA Under-16 World Championship in China. Then it became known as FIFA Under-17 World Championship and finally the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

2. Unlike the FIFA Men World Cup that has been dominated by Europe and South America, it is in fact Africa that has won the most titles so far, Nigeria 5 times and Ghana twice. The last Under 17 World Cup recently concluded in Chile was won by Nigeria too. Saudi Arabia won the title in 1989 and till date remain the only Asian country to do so.

3. Stars like Cesc Fabregas and Adriano, before being superstars gave heroic performances in the Under-17 World Cup. Adriano and Fabregas won the Golden Shoe Award in 1991 and 2003 respectively.

Ok. Enough said and done, what does it bring to Indian football? Indian National Football Team is amongst the lowest ranked International sides. Seems hard to believe that a country of over 1.3 billion and the fourth most watched national football league in the world has failed to even give any sort of competition in the international arena. No, we do not expect any magic to happen after the Under-17 World Cup, nor do we expect any Ronaldos and Messis from India either. FIFA organises this tournament to boost the future stars, the raw talents. India surely has the enthusiasm for football, there is no doubt about that. The success of the ISL proves that. This World Cup in India will be a success in its truest form if it can inspire the kids to come to the grounds and kick the ball, to believe in themselves that they can be the next Messi or Ronaldo. They need to find football cool, just what Saina did for Badminton, made it TRENDY !!! For Indian Football to grow, the roots must get strong. If it can catapult the passion for football in the kids of this country, I will say, yes, the World Cup served its purpose.