Can football regain its lost ground?

Anjali Thomas, Student In our country, apart from Kerala and Bengal, soccer is not given any importance. But this is not the case worldwide. Many of us fans have to be content watching international and league matches, as very little football gets played here. Cricket is the be all and end all.  Football has been getting marginalised right from school and college levels, which is unfortunate.‘Goal 2012’ has actually opened a new gateway for students, who so far felt that cricket was the only option before them to achieve something in sports.Shereef Hussain, BusinessmanOur Government should first revive football to national standards. There is no proper infrastructure for soccer in India. Most grounds have been turned into pitches for cricket. Keraliites have always been a soccer loving state. The city has in the past played host to several international-level cricket matches but it could never pull in that many spectators. It cannot be compared to say the crowds one witnessed during the 1950s when India used to play football in AFC Asian Cup and Santosh Trophy. Shajahan, Resident I like football the most among all the sports. It is true that it has lost its charm over the years and it is high time that something should be done about it. Initiatives like ‘Goal 2012’ is really a boost for the younger players. New talents can be identified through these tournaments, and if given a sound training from school and college level, we might be able to once again make our presence felt in the international arena with Olympics and FIFA. Even though ‘Goal 2012’ tournament is a step forward, I think some colleges are still unaware about the tournament. More publicity for it will ensure that many more teams are a part of it. But all the same this platform is a splendid opportunity for the players to make a mark. Government should also take up serious fund raising initiatives.George Raj, StudentFootball as a game has been degraded to its lowest level. Earlier everyone played football and watched it and gave it importance. But in the past few decades cricket has hogged all the media attention. It has turned into a glitzy business with the coming of IPL and CCL matches. Now football tournaments have been reduced to sevens football and small club matches. They are not getting enough publicity from the media. The public is also somewhat responsible for this. Obviously then, something like ‘Goal 2012’ is welcome. We are happy that someone has understood the need to revive the game and has taken up the initiative. Hopefully, this inter-college fest will become an inspiration for others to come up with such events. As an ardent fan and player of football, I want more tournaments like this. It’s the first time that something as big is happening at the college level and we have all welcomed it with all our hearts.