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This is a just a shot in the dark: Perhaps India’s caste system is somehow to blame.

I suspect that ‘untouchables’ make up a sizable portion of the population, and that they are denied access to many opportunities (including sports opportunities) at which they might excel.

It’s the first thought that popped into my head (I cannot back this up with any thing!)

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I think it depends not only on how much cultural significance is place on sports but on what kind of committments their government gives to the funding of sports. Australian friends of mine have told me that their government had made a lot of funding promises for sports (esp. prior to the Sydney Olympics) and…you just can’t take their friday “footie”(football) games from them….

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With 1.1 billion people, it is extremely competitive, and all the attention is paid to Education. As Lalith says, sports (other than cricket) just does not have enough sponsorship, so there is less chance of a monetary reward.

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To counter Lalith, I’m not sure that countries like Australia have a lot of sports players because they’re hoping to get a well-paid job out of it. I imagine (perhaps I should know, being Australian) that our government spends many times more on education than on sports. I think most Australians just do it for fun, and cause all their friends are doing it. So I’ll take the cultural line as well - it doesn’t take much money to find a soccer ball or cricket bat and play with friends. And anybody can start jogging.

The Indian govt probably sees no reason to fund sports which their people have no interest in, and since the cultural impetus isn’t there to start the other sports up they just don’t get going.

If I knew more about Johnny Warren and his effect on soccer in Australia in the 70s I would add something about how you need people like him to champion the development of a sport in a country before the people start getting involved and the govt starts funding it. Maybe that’s what India is lacking?

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My mom grew up in India and said that you don’t get a look in unless you are where they’re looking. Which was a veiled way of saying that they don’t look lower than the middle class. Now that football is globalized so much maybe India can catch up? I doubt it. Their national team is playing the Whitecaps next month…

I think India and Canada are similar in that few in the countries care about the sport, and if you do care you don’t have the facilities available to really get ‘good’ so you either give up or level out in terms of how far your talent can take you.

Since football isn’t in the culture per se, you don’t get much proper competition and you don’t get development as a result. You don’t get coaching and tactical awareness needed at the highest level.

Look at Iran v Mexico in the second half, the Mexican bloke made changes that the Iranians had no answer for. That’s a football culture versus Iranians who aren’t used to the Mexicans’ level of play (though the Iranians did well in the first half).

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To ‘counter Jarrod’s counter’ You do have a valid point there, but a Johnny warren is a lot easier to find in a continent/country with a population as Australia does, sometimes in the mele that India is, the talent just isn’t spotted and just withers away. And in response to your comment “Anyone can take up joggin” http://www.rediff.com/sports/2000/sep/08milka.htm

It just isn’t easy to track talent across a sub continent with 1.1 billion people in them and a distinct lack of encouragement from the government. Just my H.O.

cheers.

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i am doing a school assignment about the lack of soccer talent in my country india (lol). i’d like to highlight that the money reserved for sports…or anything for that matter, often fills the pockets of bureaucrats. 2nd, the country is divided into zones when it comes to soccer selection, and it is essential that a minimum no. of players are recruited into the teams from each zone…for instance, the east zone comprises of states of eastern india. thats bad. 3rd,(but i’m not sure about this)..like government recruitments, soccer players lying in the category of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are shown positive discrimination and there are seats alloted for them. i mean, there are given preference over other people in that matter. 4th, parents don’t feel that a full-time career in this game can provide economic security. the middle-class are especially inclined to think this way. like sania mirza suddenly shot to the top of mainstream rankings for tennis( now i’m talkin about tennis..lol)….it wasnt just because of her talent and hard-work but also because her parents supported her….came to supervise while she was being coached..and that was because she’s from a rich family and her father was able to take out time for supervising and motivating. people in india don’t see sports as a career…they dismiss it as a passion or part-time thingy. when the famous indian cricketer, kapil dev , was less known and a starter, his gf’s mum asked about what he did. when she got the answer…her exact reply was..”he plays cricket alright, but what does he do??”

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football is a highly competetive sport. But the general indian character is away from competitive sport, at least till now. It has nothing to do with caste system. If fifa spends some more money to popularize this sport in India in the future they will find a big market and a promising football nation.

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This is a lot of bullshit. I am from Goa of the great India and in Goa football is the most popular Sport. As a matter of fact, India’s national team mainly comprises of Goan players. I don’t know what is the main reason why India does not participate in the Worlcup for football, but they do for cricket and other sport such as chess. I believe it just requires to be made more popular in other sates of India and winning more games will defeneatly make people to like to play football. Being born in Goa, I enjoy playing most sports. I hope this helps people realise that India does have the potential but requires more sponcerships by Indian entrepruners. India is a great country and full of potential.

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oh and cab drivers

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Hi Everybody,

First of all what Riz,David Smith & Dirkinek said is completely true & the fact that i being an Indian but don’t belong to the Majority Garbage. The facts are:

1) Indian parents look down upon any sport ( other than only cricket (shitty i feel)) as useless wastage of time & money besides considering as an absurd idea
2)Indians excel onlyin cricket , which british has introuduced to this former colony & Majority indians are obsessed of this sport (cricket) & if their indian team wins ( atleast once ) against australia, south africa etc.; they feel like they’re superior than the whites & has shown the evidence ( silly )
3) Indians are one of the laziest people on the planet in sport & besides their bodies aren not well built when compared to the european race ( as Dirkinek rightly said )
4) Indian sports is full of politics & curruption

Solution 1: The western people (whites ) will need to be included in the Indian sporting teams & i’m sure India will surely win loads of medals in olympics ( inclding Gold ).
Solution 2: If India say as a hypothesis is still reeling under the crutches of British rule ( if still a british colony ) I’m sure it win win loads of medals & will excel in sport ( the British will drive them & whip them like a horse or a donkey )

Amazing always it seems to me that even small countries & those are in africa win good amount of medals in olympics ( only due to their sheer hardwork & talent besides their miserable food shortage (i really sympathize ).

Indians also doesn’t have plans in sports especially but when olympics come they want to win medals ( to boast with the western world i believe ) & i’m 100% sure that indian wont win more than 1 or 2 medals for atleast 100 years believe me (as David Smith said -True ). Ashamed of born in India. Left long back my own(best of ) land in the west ( luck enough ).

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