India’s Nehru Cup soccer victory, sealing a hat-trick of triumphs, may have come against low-strength Cameroon but it does represent another bright sporting achievement away from cricket. Without its Europe-based players, Cameroon was not the “Indomitable Lion”, nor did its 59th world rank help it qualify for the 2012 African Cup of Nations.
The team, nevertheless, provided a great challenge for 168th-ranked India, now just taking fledgling steps in the highly-competitive world of soccer under Dutch coach Wim Kovermans.
Sportsmen of various disciplines have achieved a few things in this cricket-obsessed nation this year, including a “record” Olympic medal haul of two silvers and four bronzes. While the Olympic hockey team’s worst-ever performance in London suggests a nadir, it is heartening that our soccer players are uniting under the “New India” brand, aiming
at higher spots in a truly universal sport, which neither cricket nor hockey is.
Far from being a destination, India’s Nehru Cup victory is just the first step in a long journey that, for a change, is being planned professionally to enable the nation to try and qualify for the 2026 World Cup. While better-paying national professional leagues will help our players get more competitive, a national football academy coming up in Baroda as part of a 360-degree development plan laid out by the football federation and its commercial partners should help provide international-class facilities that will help them to hone their skills. India has a very long way to go, but the start is promising.