Arunava about Football A look at football & the world through my eyes!
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My good old friend Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran has donned many different roles in football over the years, be it at the Chandigarh Football Academy, assistant general secretary at the AIFF, and Regional Development Officer for South Asia at FIFA.
Now he has taken on the most challenging task, he got himself elected as the new president of the Delhi Soccer Association with an aim to develop football in the capital.
Congratulations on becoming the president of the Delhi Soccer Association! What was your first reaction after the victory?
Frankly speaking, my entire focus immediately after the victory went straight to thinking it is the most challenging role I have ever taken in life and what strategy I should adopt to bring all the stakeholders on one table.
What are your first tasks in the DSA and the football of the capital?
The priority task is to plan and initiate different competitions for clubs and to see football on the pitch without wasting much time. Further, to initiate consultations with all the stakeholders to understand the issues with Delhi football and to develop a four-year strategic plan to develop football in Delhi. The vision is to transform Delhi football and make it a model football State in India by 2021.
How do you currently rate Delhi football within Indian football?
Delhi football has a great potential and participation in football among youth is significantly high. Further, the existence of club structure is a real strength of football in Delhi and the focus would be to strengthen the club structure further. Currently, Delhi football is not in the top half of Indian football and no club from Delhi was ever part of I-league therefore, except ISL local fans didn’t have the opportunity to be part of the national league system, the scenario didn’t help the growth of the game in the capital city. Delhi football is a goldmine of Indian football and a totally untapped market.
Where do you see Indian Football stand towards the end of the year 2017?
Indian football is on the rise from every sense and 2017 is a historical year because India not only hosted the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup but also for the first time an Indian team played in any FIFA World Cup. The image of Indian football in the eyes of the world has changed for better after the successful hosting of FIFA U-17 World Cup and for the world, India is one of the high potential football countries. At the end of the year, 2017 Indian football has gained positive value and going forward Indian football will only get better and we would see more and more investment coming into the beautiful game.
