KOCHI: THE glitz, glamour and the newly-found optimism present a positive picture of Kerala football. But behind the thin veneer of hopefulness remain the age-old issues - lack of serious approach in developing grassroots football and the unprofessional organising of the state league- that continue to be stumbling block for the sport’s growth in the state.
While fans dream about brighter days, administrators are yet not ready to address the real issues.
One glaring problem is the notable dearth in investment in nurturing future talents. “Except for a few names like Redstar Thrissur and SEPT Kozhikode, none have given priority to the grassroots development,” said M M Jafar Khan, a football critic.
Following the launch of ISL, many academies have mushroomed across the state to tap into the increased interest. “They are gobbling up the hard-earned money of many innocent players by selling the dream of a bright future. On the other hand, the local clubs and academies are being ignored by the (Kerala Football) Association,” said Khan.
“KFA now charges `25,000 for playing in its academy league. This is after charging `118 per children under the Centralised Registration System. If this continues, academies from the rural areas will be forced to shut shop for lack of funds,” said a club owner.
However, KFA claimed the fee is to meet the organising expenses.
‘Unprofessional’ State League
The situation of the state league also leaves a lot to be desired. “The Kerala Premier League (KPL), started with much fanfare, is yet to be developed into a professional league. It is still being organised in a few venues and not on a home-and-away basis. We should look at the Northeast states which have set exemplary models in conducting professional leagues,” said Khan.
As clubs sink into oblivion, many players are forced to migrate to other state clubs for a chance to play. “Normally, a professional player has to play 70-80 matches per season to upgrade skills and retain match fitness. But with the current setup, a Kerala footballer will only get maximum of 10 matches,” he said.
Even the upcoming season of KPL is muddled in uncertainty. “As we are doubtful about the Santosh Trophy fixtures, the KPL dates are yet to be finalised. To reduce the travel expense of departmental teams, we have decided to create a separate zone for Thiruvananthapuram and Kovalam FC will be part of that pool. Rest will play on the home-and-away basis,” said a top KFA official.
Fractured infrastructure
Apart from a few major stadiums like the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, football infrastructure in the state is nearly non-existent.
“We don’t have good stadiums that fulfil the Fifa norms. Many of these grounds are owned by either Sports Council or respective local bodies. Major changes can be made if the government gets involved in infrastructure development,” said Ebin Rose, a former Santosh Trophy player.