It’s a sad day when you realize that your country doesn’t share your passion for a sport. Especially when that sport is football. India is a country with a rich sporting culture, but unfortunately football has never really caught on.
Maybe it’s because the games are too long, or maybe it’s because cricket is just too ingrained in the culture. Whatever the reason, it’s a shame that more people in India don’t appreciate the beautiful game.
Cricket has been played in India for centuries. In addition, cricket is considered a more “gentlemanly” sport than football, and it requires less physical contact between players. As a result, football has always been seen as a bit too rough for Indian tastes.
Also Read: How to Become a Better Football Striker.
Reasons
There are several reasons why football is not a big thing in India. They are:
Lack of Infrastructure
Football is not a big thing in India because the sport lacks adequate infrastructure. There are few football pitches, and the ones that exist are often in poor condition.
Furthermore, there is a lack of investment in youth development programmes, which means that there is little encouragement for young people to take up the sport.
As a result of these factors, football has struggled to gain popularity in India.
Lack of Popularity
The main reason why football isn’t as popular in India as it is in other countries is because there isn’t a strong professional league in the country.
The Indian Super League (ISL) is the top football league in India, but it only began in 2014 and it doesn’t have nearly the same level of competition or popularity as leagues in other countries.
Football is also not as widely played at the youth level in India as it is in other countries. This means that there isn’t a large pool of talented players to choose from when forming professional teams.
Lack of Funding
In India, football struggles to attract top talent because it lacks funding. Indian footballers are not among the best-paid athletes in the country.
In contrast, cricket is a very lucrative sport in India. Top cricket players can earn millions of dollars per year. This difference in pay makes it difficult for football to compete for the best athletes. As a result, the quality of play in the sport suffers.
Lack of Talent
The lack of a strong domestic football league is often cited as one of the main reasons why football is not a big deal in India.
Although the country does have a professional league, the Indian Super League, it is not nearly as competitive or popular as leagues in other countries. This means that there is little incentive for talented young players in India to develop their skills. No wonder why they choose other career options.
Lack of Exposure
The sport is not televised often, and there are few opportunities to play it. Moreover, Indians tend to gravitate towards sports that are more popular in the country, such as cricket and hockey. As a result, football has failed to gain a foothold in India.
Conclusion
Although football is not currently a major sport in India, there is potential for it to grow in popularity. A number of factors, such as the increasing number of Indians playing football abroad and the growth of the Indian Super League, suggest that football could become more popular in India in the future.
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