India and World Cup Football

Son innocently asked his father,’ When will India play World Cup, dad?’.’ In the leap year, my son’, father quipped. The joke might sound crude and cruel, but it’s true. As a football playing country, India’s position is pretty low- it ranks only 133. Now that India will take part in World Cup is nothing but a day dream. It’s true no game is as popular as football and almost whole world love to play this game. But what’s wrong with India, a nation of 120 crore people, that has never played the most prestigious tournament of the world? .If our neighboring nation China could participate in World cup, although it fared badly, why not India? The answer is pretty difficult. Some suggest lack of whole hearted initiatives on the part of sports administration of our country in this regard might be responsible for such a sorry state of football. We focus all our attention on cricket and treat other games including football with step motherly attitude. Perhaps, it’s not true. Football primarily requires a lot of physical strength .Indians genetically lack it compared to those in other countries which play football remarkably well. Not only football, now it lags behind many nations in Hockey too, which also demand a good deal of physical ability. India was once reigning champion in Hockey when fewer countries played the game. But its down slide started when more and more countries with stronger physical ability and fitness joined the fray. Their superior skill out played the Indians. Same thing has happened in athletics too particularly where physical strength matters. So it's doubtful if greater efforts and attention only could raise the standard of Indian soccer to make it qualify for World Cup. Sorry to say, it’ll be a wild goose chase!