Business of Sports: Can Indian PSUs kick off the football fever again?

Office teams that once produced the best playing talent and packed grounds that once saw nail-biting games lie bare and quiet. AIFF wants to start a home-and-away league for public sector enterprises. But sustaining it will be easier said than a kick-off. Host Arijit Barman speaks to Shaji Prabhakaran, AIFF’s Secretary-General, Jitu Chetry, Manager of Oil India Ltd’s football team and a Former East Bengal Goalkeeper, Dhronacharya Award Winner and legendary Air India Coach Bimal Ghosh, Bibek Bhowmick, Former ONGC Coach and a host of current PSU team officials from Central Railways, Bank of Baroda, and Income Tax Department among others to understand if this can work in 2023 when football lovers are glued to international tournaments more than local counterparts. For long politicians or babus who had nothing to do with football ran the sport and ran into the ground. Reviving the game among PSUs is one great step in taking football to the grassroots, to broaden its base. The present generation of fans does not recollect an ITI being joint-winners of the first Federation Cup and Air India, regularly causing upsets playing in packed capacities. We have had too many flash-in-the-pan efforts. We can ill afford such misadventures in 2023 when even smaller Asian countries like Vietnam, Bahrain and Jordan are ahead of us in FIFA Rankings.Credits: Kisku Dada 1, I-League Official, Indian Football Edits 2.0, Wild FIlms India, Indian Football