Don't wallow in wasteful nostalgia about India having been an Asian football major aeons ago. Stop fretting because it now ranks an abysmal 121 in the latest FIFA rankings—lower than Nepal and Bangladesh. International soccer mania is sweeping India's cities and towns. Indian football fans seem to have finally given up on the boys back home, and are gleefully drowning their sorrows in the addictive charms of high-quality, attacking English and European soccer playing at the telly near you.
The craze for the real McCoy is being fuelled, sadly, by the continuing downslide in the quality of Indian football. Delhi-based social scientist Ashish Nandy feels the craze has also been encouraged by the consistently distressing results by the national cricket team and the hype of international soccer celebrities like David Beckham, Ray Giggs, Kanu, Del Piero, Roberto Carlos, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Tony Adams, Robbie Fowler, Rivaldo, Raul Ramirez and the world's most expensive Luis Figo. "The Spanish League started the hype. European soccer followed it with the uefa Championships and now, the English Premier League seems like icing on the cake," says Nandy. "And why won't people watch good soccer... Beckham's the world's top celebrity."
Nandy should know. During the recent Durga Puja in Calcutta, United Breweries (UB)—a rare Indian company with interests in domestic soccer (UB funds the Mohun Bagan and East Bengal clubs)—set up special stalls to showcase I.M. Vijayan and Jo Paul Ancheri. The effort was a super flop—not many showed interest in the players or, for that matter, their autographs or pictures with them.
Contrast this with the euphoria which swept the eastern Indian metropolis in July this year when Pepsi ran a series of promos to publicise English League honcho Manchester United's tour of Singapore and Thailand. Thanks to the cola giant, six fans—including Gaurav Dutta, a deputy commissioner in the special branch of Calcutta Police—went on an all-expense paid trip to Bangkok and, besides watching United play the Thai side, also managed a photo session with the team (read David Beckham)". It was maddening. It was like a celebrity status. Those who went came back as superheroes and those who could not win the flight (through scratch cards), looked like the sad children who missed the Pied Piper's call in Hamlin," remarks PepsiCo India executive VP, Deepak Jolly. "We also gave out as many as 500 David Beckham tees, 10,000 monoculars and 20,000 Beckham posters. We still get hundreds of letters every day asking for United or Beckham T-shirts and posters."
And why not? Ever since espn-Star Sports (ess) started beaming Spanish and European soccer matches and acquired the exclusive terrestrial, cable and satellite TV broadcasting rights of the English league for a three-year period this August, trps have been on a high and currently hover between 6 to 7, enough to garner fat advertising rates. "We are thrilled to have the F.A. Premier League headlining our programme line-up," says ess MD, Rik Dovey. Adds ess director Raymond Hume: "This is not an isolated phenomenon for India. European soccermania is happening all over Asia. After all, the English league is the world's most popular tournament. And it helps to have a Beckham, Owen, Giggs or Figo as your idol. They are superstars and are playing excellently...unlike the local heroes. At a recent quiz, we were amazed at the high level of knowledge Indian school children had of European footballers."
Hume, however, hastens to add that the trend could undergo a change if the Indian cricket team turns up some brilliant performances, at home or abroad. "Let us not discount cricket because a football fever is sweeping India. Cricket is more close to the heart of the Indians because they play it relatively well. When it comes to identifying with world soccer and its stars, Indians do have a serious problem."
But does that matter? In a country where its national football team—twice Asian champions (1951 and 1962) and placed fourth in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics—last won a medal worth a name way back in 1974 at the Teheran Asian Youth Championships (jointly with hosts Iran), it makes more sense for soccer fans to switch allegiance to foreign clubs. "Why would they pose with Indian footballers? Are they stars? Do they have any celebrity status? Indian fans now want good matches and this only comes from abroad. We are often hounded for posters of these European and Latin American stars," says Rupak Saha, Calcutta-based soccer writer and sports editor of Anandabazar Patrika.
Agrees Vineet Handa, an event manager who has been organising telecast at various pubs. "The excitement is immense because the younger crowd—which once shied away from soccer—find it extremely comfortable to associate themselves with international soccer. All our weekend matches are jampacked," adds Handa.
The bug has even bitten the players on Calcutta's Maidan. Says Mohun Bagan coach Subrarta Bhattacharya: "I have often heard my boys discussing a Beckham free-kick than discussing their plans before some crucial matches. I have admonished them a couple of times. But I do not resent it. If they can learn a thing or two from the English league, they would breathe new life in our soccer fields." Agrees former international and Indian skipper Pradip Kumar Banerjee: "All foreign leagues are popular but the English league is more so because of the big names. The fact that people are watching these matches will eventually have an impact on the popularity of Indian football. It could soar once people start comparing the two brands." And some day, possibly, give cricket, our national obsession, a run for its money.
Shantanu Guha Ray With Rakesh Dhar in Calcutta