Sunday, 17 July 2011

history


The origin of football in India can be traced back to mid nineteenth century when the game was introduced by British soldiers. Football spread among the masses thanks to the efforts of one Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhichary. Several football clubs like Calcutta FC, Sovabazar, Mohun Bagan and Aryan Club were established in Calcutta around 1890s. Calcutta, then capital of British India, soon became the hub of Indian football. Tournaments like Gladstone Cup, Trades Cup and Coocbehar Cup was also started around this time. Durand Cup and IFA Shield was started in late nineteenth century making them two of the oldest football compeitions in the world.
Initially, games were played between army teams. However, clubs were soon set up around the country. The first "native" team to achieve success was Sovabazar Club, which won the Trades Cup in 1892. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club was set up in what is now West Bengal in 1889. The club became famous in 1911 when it became the first Indian team to lift the IFA Shield, a tournament previously won only by British teams based in India. It defeated the Eastern Yorkshire Regiment 2-1 in the final of the tournament in a victory that is still regarded by many as the greatest by an Indian team before Independence.
The Indian Football Association (IFA) was established in Calcutta in 1893, but did not have a single Indian on its board until the 1930s.
India qualified by default for the 1950 FIFA World Cup finals as a result of the withdrawal of all of their scheduled opponents. But the governing body AIFF decided against going to the World Cup, being unable to understand the importance of the event at that time. Reason shown by AIFF was that there was the cost of travel, although FIFA agreed to bear a major part of the travel expenses, [3] lack of practice time, team selection issues and valuing Olympics over FIFA World cup.[4]
Although FIFA imposed a rule banning barefoot play following 1948 Olympics[5][6] where India had played barefoot. The myth that Indians refused to play because they were not allowed to play barefoot is not entirely true, according to the then Indian captain Shailen Manna, it was just a story to cover up the disastrous decision of the AIFF.[7] The team has never since come close to qualifying for the World Cup.[8]
The Indian team also won gold medals in football at the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games, and finished fourth at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. 1951-1962 is usually considered as "golden phase" of Indian football. The National team won numerous titles in this era under the coaching of Syed Abdul Rahim. Other than success in Asian Games football India also won Merdeka Cup and Quadrangular Tournament while East Bengal garnered rave reviews after it's tour of Romania. Rahim's death in early 60s pegged Indian football back after a successful period.
India did qualify for it's first Asian Cup in 1964 but failed to capture the title. India's last important performance in an international tournament was in 1970 Asian Games, when it won the bronze medal by defeating Japan 1-0. In mid-70s, Indian youth team jointly won the Youth Asian Cup with Iran. Indian football would go through a barren phase in 70s, 80s and 90s, gradually losing its foothold as a top Asian team.
In August 2007, the Indian national team won the Nehru Cup for the first time in its history beating Syria 1-0.[9] In August the following year, India defeated Tajikistan 4-1 to lift the AFC Challenge Cup and in turn qualified for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.
In 2009 August, India again won the Nehru Cup beating Syria in penalty (6-5).
In January 2011 India played in the 2011 Asian Cup which was the first time India has played in the Asian Cup for 24 years. India were knocked out in the group stage which contained South Korea, Australia, and Bahrain.
Ever sense the 2011 Asian Cup the All India Football Federation has been working very hard on Indian Football. For instance they allowed former coach Bob Houghton coach the Indian side in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers. After going first in there AFC Challenge Cup group Bob Houghton was sacked and replaced by the current Indian coach Armando Colaco. Meanwhile the India national under-23 football team won the first round of the 2012 Olympics qualifiers against Myanmar but were knocked out by Qatar. At the moment India are set to face the United Arab Emirates in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

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Football in India


Football is one of India's most popular sports, next to cricket and hockey. It is a very popular sport in states like West Bengal, Goa, Kerala and the entire North-East India, especially Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim. Football is played in almost all schools in India.
Having been Asian champions twice, the standard of Indian football has degraded due to a lack of investment and proper planning. While standards of other Asian nations in which football is the most popular sport improved, Indian football was largely neglected in preference to cricket in which the national team is among the top three countries in the world.[1] In September 2006, India and Brazil signed an agreement formalising a scheme to train Indian footballers and coaches.[2]
Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), in the state of West Bengal, is considered to be the home of Indian football. The city contains the two most famous Indian teams, East Bengal Club andMohun Bagan AC. Derbies between these two clubs are popular events in Kolkata. Recently, Goan clubs have been doing well in the I-league with Dempo SC being the most successful club in the history of the league.

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Saturday, 16 July 2011

Maradona speaks up for Messi

BUENOS AIRES — Argentina fans, fed up with their team's lacklustre showing at the Copa America, need to give much-criticised Lionel Messi a break, says Diego Maradona.
Messi has long been touted as 1986 world champion Maradona's successor in the national side.
But whereas at club level Messi has managed to outshine his illustrious compatriot by winning a sackful of top honours with Barcelona, it has been a different story at international level.
With Argentina struggling to impress on home soil, Maradona told sports daily Ole it was time someone spoke up for Messi, who has been caught up in the national team's general malaise.
Maradona says the critics have got it all wrong.
"I want to defend Messi. He always plays, he loves the Argentine shirt - I can't believe all these idiots who take to the airwaves to do him down. I talked with him this week and told him to take things calmly.
"Let's not blame Leo. We have the best in the world, an exceptional boy."
Maradona is only too well aware of the pressure Messi is under having himself spent his career in the goldfish bowl -- though he could point to his 1986 World Cup-winning performances to deflect later criticism.
Last summer, he experienced the pressure on Messi at close hand as the former Barcelona and Napoli star took charge of the two-times world champions at the World Cup in South Africa, where Messi once again came under a critical microscope, not least in a quarter-final thumping by Germany.
Maradona said slating one player was illogical.
"It just can't be the case that if you win the Champions League you are the greatest of all time and then if Argentina don't win two games it's all your fault.
"The team didn't attack (in drawing with Bolivia and Colombia) and then they blame him. We are being very unfair on Messi."
Maradona said he himself had turned in poor showings.
"Before the 1986 World Cup I turned in some bad games, I was a disaster and 80 percent of journalists turned on me," he recalled.
Coach Sergio Batista is set to ring the changes for Monday's must-win game against Costa Rica by dropping Carlos Tevez for Gonzalo Higuain, Ezequiel Lavezzi for Sergio Aguero, Ever Banega for Fernando Gago and Esteban Cambiasso for Angel Di Maria.
That would leave Messi free to roam off the main strikers and delegate classic number nine responsibilities, a role he has looked uncomfortable with.
Maradona, who insisted he wanted to "protect" Messi, says the player must "speak directly to the coach and say, 'listen, put someone next to me who can get stuck in and hurt our opponents,'" while freeing him to weave his magic as he does for Barcelona.
Maradona also slammed Batista for not bringing in highly-rated Javier Pastore of Palermo.
"I'm not going to pick Batista's team for him, but it seems Pastore would be a great foil for Leo," he told Ole, while adding it was "impossible" for Argentina to be a carbon copy of Barcelona.
"Let's play as Argentina and leave Pep Guardiola to get on with Barcelona," said Maradona.
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Diego Maradona (Argentina)





     Diego Armando Maradona is by many regarded as the greatest player in the history of the game. He was born on October 30th 1960 in Lanus outside Buenos Aires. There he played for Los Cebollitos (The little onions), before he joined Argentinos Juniors. At 16 he was Argentina's youngest-ever international when he played against Hungary. Two years later he captained the World Youth Cup winners and was soon transferred to Boca Juniors for £1.000.000. The success continued and he was voted South American Player Of The Year in 1979 and 1980. 
     In 1982 Maradona joined Spanish giants Barcelona for a world record transfer fee of £5.000.000. The same year the World Cup was held in Spain and Maradona made his World Cup debut on his new homeground Estadio Nou Camp. The tournament didn't end as Maradona had hoped and he was sent off against Brazil in the second phase, as Argentina bowed out. 
     In his first season for "Barca" he helped them win the league, leaguecup and the Super Cup. Two years later, another world record fee of £6.900.000 took him to success-starved Napoli, and in 1987 they won a league and cup double. A year earlier he had captained Argentina to a second World Cup triumph. It was a World Cup that forever will be synonymous with Maradona. He scored 5 goals in that tournament, including two against England. Both are among the most controversal in World Cup history. The first was the infamous "Hand of God" and the second probably the greatest goal ever scored in a World Cup game, as he ran from his own half showing magic displays and leaving seven English players for dead.
     Success continued with Napoli as he again steered them to a leaguetitle and in 1989 even a triumph in the UEFA cup. In 1990 the World Cup was held in Italy and Maradona captained Argentina to yet another final. The Germans were once again the opponents and this time they proved too strong for the Argentinians. That loss was to be the beginning of the end for Maradona. Two drug scandals have created black spots on his name and reputation. Several come-backs have been tried since 1991 and after helping Argentina qualifying for the 1994 World Cup in USA, Maradona looked fit for fight again. A marvellous goal against Greece in the first match gave proves for that. 
     But in the next game against Nigeria he was caught for drug abuse, and the World Cup story of Diego Armando Maradona got a sad ending. That match meant that Maradona equalled the record of matches played in the World Cup of 21, held by Uwe Seeler and Wladislav Zmuda (Later beaten by Lothar Matthäus). Maradona retired from international football after that with a gallery of good and bad memories. But he is by neutral football lovers regarded alongside Pelé as the greatest player of them all.
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1. Luka Modric (Tottenham Horspur)

: Following the massacre of the midfield at the hands of  the Catalans in the Champions league final at Wembley Stadium, Sir Alex is keen on adding more creativity to the midfield. Luka Modric seems to be the best option as the spurs midfielder is in excellent form and is already familiar with the English style of game. The croation midfielder is also interested in a possible transfer as he recently said “When you experience playing in the Champions League, you want to keep playing in this tournament”. The transfer is supposed to be around 30m or more as Spurs are reluctant to sell their top star playmaker.
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