A group of country’s leading footballers have released a video titled ‘Save Indian Football’, highlighting the miserable state of the sport in the country at the moment. Significantly, through their video that has already gone viral, the footballers have also made appeal to the world football’s ruling body FIFA and the association of world footballers’ association, FIPRPO, requesting their intervention to save Indian football from its present deplorable condition.
The ISL, which ideally should have begun last September, is yet to kick off due to the lack of a commercial partner for the league.
“It’s January, and we should be on your screens as part of a competitive football game in the Indian Super League. Instead, here we are driven by fear and desperation to say aloud something that we all know. But more importantly, we are here to make a plea. The Indian football government can no longer fulfill its responsibilities.
“We are now staring at permanent paralysis. This is a last-ditch effort to save what we can. So, we are calling FIFA to step in and do what it takes to save Indian football. We hope this message gets to the powers that are in Zurich.
“This call is not political. It is not driven by confrontation, but by necessity. It might sound like a big word, but the truth is that we are facing a humanitarian, economic, and sporting crisis. Of course, we need rescuing at the earliest.
“Players, staff, owners, and fans deserve clarity, protection, and, more importantly, a future. We just want to play football, please help us do it,” said the video, which features Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Pritam Kotal, Rahul Bheke, Suresh Singh Wangjam, and Amrinder Singh among Indian footballers, while Carlos Delgado, Hugo Bumous, and Michel Zabaco are the overseas players who have spoken out.
The letter sent to the AIFF-appointed three-man committee on behalf of the clubs has stated that the AIFF should take up the financial responsibility for organizing the league in the absence of a commercial partner. The clubs said they are open to a meeting on January 3 to follow up on the matter.
