India can enter the top 50 in the FIFA rankings, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday, according to a release by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The top management of the AIFF, including its president Kalyan Chaubey, met Mandaviya on Thursday to brief him about the existing AIFF-FIFA Academy in Odisha and the plan to construct four more such facilities in different zones. “A well-thought-out plan needs to be developed and implemented to enable India to achieve a FIFA ranking below 50 in the next ten years,” Mandaviya was quoted as saying in the AIFF press release.
“India boasts one of the largest pools of young talent in the world. The focus should be on mass talent identification. These should be developed alongside the development of coaches, which will be critical to athletic growth.” FIFA rankings began in 1992, and the best ranking for an Indian men’s football team was 94, achieved in February 1996. The team very rarely made it into the top 100.
In the latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday, the Indian football team is ranked 127th, two places lower than the previous October list. Japan, Iran, Korea and Australia, the regular Asian countries participating in the World Cup, are ranked 15th, 18th, 23rd and 26th respectively in the latest rankings.
Following the meeting, which also discussed the importance of coaching development, the minister assured the AIFF of all possible support for the development of the sport in India.
“Rapid economic growth and an expanding middle class are changing attitudes to sports. Parents now encourage their children to combine studies with sports, unlike in previous times,” the minister noted.
“The government is committed to providing full support to the development of sports in India. Initiatives such as new training centers and partnerships with international organizations will contribute to progress.” Chaubey said AIFF has submitted a detailed plan to Mandaviya.
“Given the size and population of a huge country like India, one AIFF-FIFA Academy in Odisha is not enough. “We therefore proposed the creation of four more regional academies with the same technical support from FIFA.” “India currently has 25 fully professional clubs in the ISL and I-League. In addition, there are 80 AIFF accredited academies, all these teams have U-13 age group teams, details have been published. submitted to the Ministry.” FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) Project Director Ged Roddy, who is currently on a visit to India, was also present at the meeting along with AIFF General Secretary Anilkumar.
The AIFF-FIFA Academy was inaugurated in Bhubaneswar, Odisha following the visit of world renowned coach Arsene Wenger, who is the Head of Global Football Development at FIFA.
Currently, 32 cadets are studying at the academy. Roddy, the FIFA TDS Project Director, is currently on a visit to India to review the project.
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