The Decline of Indian Football: A Critical Narrative

Indian football has a long and rich heritage as a mass spectator sport. Indian national teams once occupied a pivotal place in Asian football and had also carved a niche at the international stage. But since the 1970s, the game lost its way in India due to a complex medley of reasons. This essay tries to explore the problems that have crippled Indian football from the late 1960s. It also suggests that it is high time for the All India Football Federation to take steps to eradicate the anomalies as otherwise India’s journey towards the nadir of FIFA rankings will continue unabated.