International Soccer Network is going international in a big way. There will be a major announcement coming your way in the very near future.
Today we happen to be talking football in India with Arvind Narayan, Partner at Libero Sports.
Narayan is a FIFA licensed players’ agent primarily focused with Libero Sports’ operations in Asia. He was a former member of the U-20 Indian National Team Pool and brings with him an extensive set of contacts within the Asian football circle. From his time as a player, he has established great relationships with many National Team players, coaches, and general secretaries of Asian clubs. He is responsible for arranging and coordinating trials for clients who look to play for clubs in the AFC region. He is also responsible for working with on-the-ground scouts to identify talented players within Asia, specifically Japan, to send to clubs in Europe. During his time with Libero Sports, he has successfully placed over 40 foreign footballers and coaches into various leagues in Asia.
Narayan is considered one of the top experts on emerging markets so we decided to ask him some key question about the future of the game in India.
1. Why is India such an important emerging market?
India is a country with close to half the population under the age of 25 years old. With the significant increase in the growth of the middle class, there’s a lot more people with disposable income and time for leisure activities. Many European clubs have taken note of this and have tried to tap into this relatively untapped market for this very reason. The number of eyeballs on TV (for sponsorship purposes) and the merchandising potential is too big to be ignored.
2. Who is the most famous Indian footballer and why?
Former National Team captain Baichung Bhutia is the most famous Indian player. He is one of the few players in the country whose face can be recognized by the general population across the country. He has played for some of the biggest clubs in India, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, and also had a short stint abroad with Bury FC in England.
3. What are your thoughts on the I-League and its potential moving forward?
To the general population, it may not seem as though the I-league has advanced in the last five years. However, there are certain positive signs. Indian clubs have taken an active step in improving the quality of the league by forming their own union and staying unified in trying to implement certain policies which they feel are vital to the sustainability of Indian football. Furthermore, the quality of players and coaches have increased steadily due to the significant increase in salaries. For example, one of the Indian clubs recently signed a Dutch manager who has coached three clubs in the Dutch Eredivisie. Five years back, coaches like this wouldn’t have thought twice about coming to India! The bar has been getting higher year by year, and because of this, the final product on the pitch will naturally improve.
4. What Indian teams have been dominant domestically?
You will get a different answer to this question depending on who you ask. Historically, teams in Calcutta such as East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are seen as the biggest clubs in India. They have been around since the late 19th century, and when these two teams play against each other, you can expect to see crowds of over 100,000 people. However, in the last decade, clubs in Goa such as Churchill Brothers FC and Dempo SC, have taken the title on more occasions than their counterparts in Calcutta. It has become interesting because going into this upcoming 2013/14 season, I feel there isn’t one “dominant” team and there are close to 4-5 genuine title contenders.
5. Who are some promising young players that could make an impact in domestic leagues and abroad?
One of the most promising young players is Uttam Rai. As a disclaimer, I do represent him, but I will be objective when assessing his talent and potential. Two years back, he scored five goals in a single game in the AFC U-16 Youth Championship Qualifier. Last year, he scored two goals against Uzbekistan in the group stages. The Uzbeks went on to win the Asian Championship. At 17 years old, he already has a sponsorship deal with Nike and Coca-Cola. There are still many things he needs to improve in his game, but his potential has attracted some potential suitors. I can disclose that a top division club in Japan has invited Uttam for a ten-day training stint next month.
6. What is the current state of the Indian national team system?
In 2011, India qualified and played in the Asian Cup after 27 years. Since then, the results have slightly declined. However, this is also due to a new technical team and brand of football being put in place. In the short term, the performances haven’t been as good as what we saw few years back, but the Federation is in the process of building a strong foundation. I am more than confident that this will lead to an overall long-term improvement for the National Team.
7. How has a massive population and an ever-growing middle class helped soccer grow in India?
At times, India’s population of 1.2 billion people can act as a double-edged sword. The argument is that, with a pool of 1.2 billion people, India should be producing quality players in large numbers. However, the massive population, size of the country, numerous languages, cultures, etc. has made it difficult to implement uniform policies across all regions. India can be considered its own little continent. Due to this, there are different people doing different things, and at times this has led to more confusion. However, efforts are being taken to leverage the population and changing economic scenario to improve India as a footballing country. Just six months back, Technical Director of the Indian Federation Rob Baan came up with the “Lakshya 2022”. This is a plan which Mr. Baan has put together after spending a year traveling to almost every state in the country and making observations. Once these systems are put in place, India will be ready to take advantage of its size and diversity.
8. Where does soccer rank in terms of popularity in India?
If TV figures are anything to go by, football is the top ranked sport after cricket. From 2008 to 2010, TV viewership in football has almost doubled (from 83 million to 155 million viewers). The World Cup TV rights in 2006 for India was worth 4 million U.S. dollars. In 2010, this value increased over a 1000 percent to 44 million U.S. dollars. These figures just go to show how quickly the interest in football is growing. In the long term, if the national team produces better results against tougher oppositions, I wouldn’t be surprised if football’s popularity surpasses that of cricket.
