The Indian Football Story | The World Is Yours To Take | Chapter 1

The reporter asked, why do you play barefooted, you know? Then he said, you know, you guys in Europe, you play bootball, but in India, we play football. I don't know how these legends play barefoot. 1950, a young India, a free India, was flying high under the tricolour. And as India found her feet on the geopolitical stage, she also found her feet elsewhere. Many stories have been told about the legendary barefoot Indian football team. But none are as famous and as untrue as the 1950 World Cup story. The World Cup started in 1930, and it was in a very nascent stage when the FIFA started. Everything was not very organised with the FIFA. Then we had the World War, and Europe, who was the real pioneer or the driving force behind the World Cup, was in shambles after the war. The scenario of Indian football was that during the World War phase, mainly in Kolkata or in other places, football was on. So all players were in condition, and our team was considered as one of the leading teams in the Asian continent. We had qualified for the World Cup in Brazil, and we did not send the team. An opportunity lost. Many of us still believe it's only because we played barefoot. In 1949, January, India sent a cable to FIFA that they would like to participate in the 1950 World Cup. And AIFF, even after sending the cable, was really not convinced or still divided as to how India would go and participate. See, it didn't qualify straight away. It qualified rather by default, because there were three teams from Asia which were supposed to play the qualifiers. India, Burma, which is now Myanmar, and the Philippines. The Philippines withdrew first, and then Burma withdrew. So India had qualified automatically. The mainstream players, they prefer barefooted because it is often believed that they have got good control over the ball, and they used to play in short passes. And this short passing and slowing the game, against mighty Britishers who used to play in kick and run. So they prefer barefooted. I started playing football at the age of five. Football has given me life. There was no boot, we were playing barefoot. Even the Indian team used to play barefoot. So I was also playing barefoot. Yeah, it was a very common phenomenon then. There were so many times where we were playing in a small-sided pitch, just outside your home, where shoes were not needed, were not compulsory. So I have played a lot of barefoot football. FIFA did not ban barefoot football before 1953. It was, even India played the 1948 Olympics and 1952 Olympics in barefoot. India has just become free, and they are representing free India, and they are playing barefoot. In London, definitely people were, you know, what's this? People were very amused, the British journalists were very amused, the British press and British public was also, that somebody can play football barefooted. The biggest myth, which actually, I don't know who manufactured it. FIFA said that you don't wear boots, so you will not be coming here. Which is, what I say, rather rubbish, I would say. Because the FIFA equipment regulation came in 1953 only. Before that, in the FIFA equipment regulation, it was never said that you have to wear a boot. That is the first thing. And if you look at it in 1952 Helsinki Olympics, most of the Indians were not wearing boots, they were barefooted. So FIFA not allowing 1950 World Cup for not wearing boots is an argument which holds no water, actually. We played football, not bootball, and we played well. Nobody cared that we were barefoot. It's not the reason we did not go to Brazil. So why didn't we go? All India Football Federation estimated that since the tournament was being held in Brazil, in Rio, it would cost about a lakh. And they have to raise funds. All India Football Federation was certainly struggling to raise money. Then I think IFA, the parent body of Bengal football, they said they will give 25,000. Mysore Football Association, I think, said 10,000 or something. And the Western India Football Association, which is basically Maharashtra Football Association, they also said they will give 10,000 or 15,000. So money was arranged. It was not that the money was not arranged. All India Football Federation came here and even said that Indians were getting ready for the World Cup. But then they developed cold feet. I don't think money was an issue in the end. I think the real story, which I also genuinely believe, was I think the government of India felt that Olympics was more important for India to go. So they chose the Indian football team to go to Olympics because the World Cup was not so big. June 24, 1950, this tournament was supposed to start. And then only 10 days before the tournament, they sent a table that India didn't have sufficient, got the information late. There was a difference in the selection of players. So they will withdraw. And that time we should all understand Olympics definitely was a much greater event. So they preferred Olympics and they left out World Cup. But this was probably the biggest mistake, biggest unfair, unfortunate thing to happen to Indian football. How would we have fared if we actually played that World Cup, nobody really knows now. But nobody can deny the fact that we were good. Football was bare feet, but players were quite skillful. Yeah, we heard the stories again. Sadly, the footages weren't there. My father, my uncles, they all used to tell us this. And it was all something that we heard from people. But how glorious the years were then. India first played their official match, 1948, against France. The time when the match was in favor of India, they wasted two penalties against Miaté France. And in the final minute, they conceded one goal. And they were out from the game. But it was a really good show. It created a very good impression about the Indian national team. And it really proved that India was one of the leading teams from Asia. In fact, India after the Olympics had beaten Wales also, 4-0. Like in 1951 Asian Games final against Iran, that was India's toughest match. And India won the gold medal by winning by a goal. Frequently playing the Olympics, also getting an opportunity to play the World Cup, doing really well in the Asian Games, doing really well in the Asia Cups was a glorious time. And I think every now and then when at today's lot we feel a little bit demotivated, that's where we want to be. That's where we want to reach. Because before our country was there, did that. And I just hope sooner than later we can get back to the glorious days. If India has to progress in football, I think it's the players that can perform and take football forward. And to get those results, you need good players. And to get good players, you need to start them getting trained and getting to compete and getting that kind of environment for them to be passionate about football is what we need to create. You give life to football. When you buy a football, you have no life. In play it here, you give life. Football gives us life. If we would have gone and played the World Cup, probably we would have played the next one also. Just the whole euphoria about and around football would have been different. You can't quantify what would have been achieved. But because I'm an optimistic, if we would have played, things would probably be, sorry, definitely be better for football in India. I hope it happens ASAP as soon as possible. And I can't wait to see my country play in the World Cup.