Mission XI Million : Awakening the Sleeping Giant

Even as India stands at 129th position in the global ranking of football, the Mission to touch 11 million hearts generates hope for a positive future for football, the second most popular game in the country after cricket. In the background of FIFA U-17 World Cup, this Mission can be hugely transformative

Pramod Kumar
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter had once described India as “soccer’s sleeping giant”. That ‘sleeping giant’ seems all set to rise now. The way India has started serious preparations at the grass roots level by launching the ambitious Mission XI Million programme, there is a great possibility that the nation of 134 crore people breaks all the myths and steals the show at FIFA U-17 World Cup to be held in India for the first time from Oct 6 to 28, 2017.
Football is surely the second most popular sport after cricket in India, but the fact is that we stand at 129th position in the latest FIFA World Ranking. There have been questions over the infrastructure and support to the players. Even then India has decided to take a big stride. On the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India launched the country’s biggest school sports outreach programme on February 10 to discover and nurture the talent at grass roots level. The initiative aims to encourage the children to play football, gain healthy habits and learn important life lessons in teamwork and sportsman spirit. The approach is to work with school Principals and sports teachers, encourage and incentivise them to make children play football on regular basis.

Having been started in mid-19th century when the game was introduced by British soldiers, football in India has come a long way. The first Indian team to achieve success was Sovabazar Club, which won the Trades Cup in 1892. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, set up in 1889, won the IFA Shield in 1911. The All India Football Federation (AIFF), which manages the game in India, was formed in 1937, but took more than a decade to get affiliation from the FIFA. India qualified by default for the 1950 FIFA World Cup as a result of the withdrawal of all its scheduled opponents. It picked up the Gold in football in the first Asian Games in 1951. In 1956, India reached semi-final in Melbourne Olympics Football, the first Asian country to do so. In 1962, India again picked up the football Gold in the Asian Games. Along with the success in the Asian Games Football, India also won Merdeka Cup and Quadrangular Tournament. In 1970 Asian Games, India won bronze medal by defeating Japan by 1–0.
Still there is a huge craze for the game in the country, but the successive governments never thought of tapping the potential among Indian Youth by launching any ambitious drive as has now been launched by the Central Government. The impressive beginning of the Mission XI Million generates high hope for future and indicates that FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 could spark a monumental change in India. “The successful hosting of the FIFA U-17 World Cup alone cannot be our final objective. It must be a catalyst for change, the tipping point for football in the country, which can only be done by creating a mass movement around it. The objective is to give an opportunity to every child in the country to play football. We need the support of not just the children but also of every parent and teacher to encourage boys and girls to play football and develop both skill and fitness. I am confident that these children will be able to take Indian Football to its righteous place in the world,” Prime Minister Shri Modi said in a message to the nation on January 12, 2017.

Officially launching the Mission in New Delhi on February 10, Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs (Independent Charge) Vijay Goel along with AIFF president Praful Patel said it is not just the stadiums and grounds that need to be built, we also need to start a revolution in sports throughout the country. “There will be an atmosphere of football in schools and colleges all over the country throughout the year,” he  said adding that Mission XI Million aims to kick up the passion for football in 11 million children of the country. “The key idea is that every child should have the opportunity to play football. To make that happen, schools and parents are being involved in children’s physical well-being. The Mission equips parents and schools with the equipment and the knowledge about how to make regular play a reality for their wards,” the Minister added. The programme has been divided into three phases—seminars for teachers and educators, in-school activities and football festivals, which will run up to September 2017.
Former national coach of Indian football team Anadi Barua observes in the Mission a good opportunity to promote the game, but he feels that some more steps need to be taken to generate firm commitment among the Indian sportspersons about football. Talking to Organiser over the phone he said: “We have lot of talent and good potential all over India, but we lacked infrastructure and motivation so far. Apart from grounds, we need to install floodlights in the stadiums and grounds so that the players can play at night too. Secondly, to achieve good results we should involve all the Fours—the Principals, teachers, children and the parents. Another challenge is to ensure bright future for the sportspersons in the form of monetary help, scholarships and job offers if they excel in the respective sport. There should be a clear cut mechanism offering something to the players at every stage they cross. We want a village boy to play at national and international level, but we do not assure him a bright future in the game. That is a big problem. Why do European countries excel today? It is because they have ensured lot of facilities to their players. In India, we do not even offer them proper diet. I appreciate Modi Government for recognising the sportspersons. The results will be amazing if the government ensures five per cent government sector jobs to sportspersons. Also, more corporate houses should promote football teams.”
Dr Gurdeep Singh, Joint Secretary (Sports), All India University Federation (AIUF) feels the Mission XI Million is right prescription for the disease, but it should be executed with perfection. “The initiative is wonderful, because it will broad base football playing in schools and colleges and universities. We will have good results if we have right people at the right place. There is a need for identification of talented brain and competent people under whose monitoring this project should be implemented. We are at 129th place in the world today in the field of football. You cannot reach the Mount Everest in one go. You need to move step by step. Therefore, we need to take sports in a serious, commercial and professional manner. Such initiatives should be taken for other sports too. It will help produce both the quantity and quality,” he added.
However, Union Minister of State for Sports Vijay Goel does not agree that we do not have sufficient infrastructure for football. “One of the most common arguments against the sports is that we do not have infrastructure to allow children to play. But football can be played in the smallest of places—badminton courts, grass or on mud. All it needs is one ball and children with a dream and desire. Pele and Ronaldinho started playing in the streets of their slums. We will become a football power when ‘galli football’ is as common as ‘galli cricket’ in our country. This is a great initiative for Indian sports and I will personally do my best to see that Mission XI Million takes football to the next level in this country,” added Shri Goel.
As the preparations for FIFA U-17 World Cup get momentum, corporate houses have also started
coming forward. Bank of Baroda, sportswear giant Adidas Sony and many others have announced their association. Adidas’ India Director (Football Business Unit) Hrishikesh Shende, says, “We strongly believe that Mission XI Million is a stepping stone to put India on the world map of Football.” “Adidas’ commitment towards this nation
building project is not just as sponsor, they are actively involved in the actual Mission,” said Joy Bhattacharya, Project Director, Local Organising Committee of FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, NP Singh, CEO of Sony Pictures Networks India hoped that the Mission not only boosts the sport of football at grass roots level, but also broad-bases its inclusion in everyday life.