Prasanta Banerjee sees quick turnaround in Indian football

Gurgaon, Oct 20 (UNI) Despite India's low ranking in FIFA chart and the recent drubbing at the hands of countries like Yemen, former national captain Prasanta Banerjee sees a quick turaround in football fortunes.

Painting an optimistic picture, Banerjee said India can become a force to reckon in 4-5 years' time should right initiatives under the table are implemented.

''Lack of professionalism has been the bane of Indian football for a long time, but that is changing. We have the NFL started eight years back and AIFF says it will be professionalised by next year at the latest,'' Banerjee, who is here as Bengal coach in the 61st Santosh Trophy football tournament, told UNI in an interview.

''Football talent pool has widened in other states in the last 10 years and not dominated by one or two states. We have a fine coach now in Bob Houghton and others are learning under him.

''The most important thing is that the AIFF has decided to nurture under-16 players. That is the best thing to happen.

''AIFF is targetting world cup qualification by 2014 at the latest. That is not unachievable. If the under 16 players are groomed well, by the time they are between 20-25 years the country's football fortunes will definitely change,'' Banerjee, who is now coach of Rusi Mody Academy in Kolkata -- which trains under-14 players -- in Kolkata, said.

He said AIFF's emphasis on age-group tournaments was in right directions but said training under different coaches for each age group should be done away with and Houghton should look after every player with the help of Indian assistant coaches.

''Bob should be a kind of all-in-one coach looking after players of different age groups. There is also no need to have foreign coach for the age groups. Indians can do that,'' Banerjee said.

He also stressed on the need of holding conditioning camps of players of different age groups together before major international tournaments by fixing dates depending upon the availability of players after looking the calendar.

By doing this, he said, younger players will learn from senior players.

''After knowing the domestic calendar and international committment, AIFF can work out camps involving players of different age groups together before embarking on international tournaments.

''Players of different age groups can be trained separately in a day but at the same place and they should stay in the same place say a training centre. This can be done as often as can be depending on the availability of players,'' he explained.

Banerjee also lamented the lack of international exposure of Indian players and advocated starting of India's own international tournaments.

''Players of different age groups should be exposed to more and more international tournaments and we should also start age group tounaments in India.

''Earlier, we had the Jawaharlal Nehru tournament but not now.

We can start such tournaments and few other domestic and international age group tournaments,'' he remarked.

Regarding the problem of players not being released by clubs for national tournaments like the Santosh Trophy, Banerjee blamed AIFF for the mess.

''AIFF should fix the calendar at the beginning of the season taking into account club leagues in different states. Then there would be no clash in dates.

''Training together is very important. Without training their is lack of co-ordiation and the quality of football is low in important tournaments like the Santosh Trophy because of lack of training toigether.'' He said once the AIFF issues the calendar and fixes the schedule the state federations should de-register the clubs which does not release players.

''It is understandable that clubs want to field their best players in important matches in their league fixture as they pay money to players, but it is also important that tournaments like Santosh Trophy provide quality football. The way out is decide the calendar at the beginning of season and punish clubs which do not release players for important national tournaments like the Santosh Trophy,'' the former India midfielder, who carried the tag of being the most expensive player of Kolkata league in the late eighties, said.

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