CHENNAI: The last time a football player from Tamil Nadu donned national colours was in 2001. Since the exit of Syed Sabir Pasha from the international scene, there has been a void. For a state that has been consistently faring well in the Santosh trophy, it is surprising that no player has yet received a call from the national camp.
Recently, centre forward A Raegan and Tamil Nadu captain P Sudhakar made waves — Raegan has also got an offer to play for India’s favourite club Mohun Baghan. “When top clubs are noticing the talent of our players then why are they not being considered for the national camp as well?” questions P Thulasi, an A licensed coach who currently coaches ICF. Tamil Nadu has been overlooked for long, he feels. “Currently players are spotted only from the I-league teams. Other leagues are not considered. Players like Sudhakar, Raegan and goalkeeper Satish Kumar are worthy of a berth in the national squad. At least give them a chance to attend the camp,” he says.
And some viewership won’t hurt, points out B Ravikumar David, General Secretary, Tamil Nadu Football Association. “Two teams cannot play in isolation without the support of the crowd. Where will the motivation come from? We have to focus on evolving strategies to increase the level of interest among spectators and pull larger crowds for our matches,” he says.
All the coaches and administrators who have gathered at the Nehru stadium for the ongoing Chennai Senior Division League share one common grievance - lack of enough grounds. Earlier, Nehru stadium was essentially a football ground. But now with a change of orientation towards revenue generation, it has turned into a multipurpose one, explains David. “We find ourselves vying with other sports as well as schools and colleges to gain access. We have to reschedule our programs when the ground is lent for other purposes,” he says. And finally, there’s also the issue of money. R Shanmugam, former Tamil Nadu coach, says, “A lot of talented players come from poor backgrounds. They can’t play without proper nutrition. In many such aspects, we need more sponsors to come forward and help us.”