Dhiman Sarkar of Hindustan Times joined Vikram Nanivadekar and myself to talk about the growing concern surrounding the progress or lack of it in the Mecca of Indian football - Kolkata. This is the second part of the Goan football vs Kolkata football discussion we started off with the preceding episode.It is an essential topic of discussion because Kolkata football teams arguably remain the most popular names in the country but Goan teams have been winning the tag of Champions in recent years. Cup titles are still not rare for Kolkata clubs. Yet, only one manages to end in the top-5 in the difficult I-League, & two finish second-last & last in the I-League second division round.
Even a team going through a bad patch - say Mohun Bagan on recent form - can draw thousands to the ground for a local game. Yet, it is difficult to name even one local talent of any meaningful stature to have come through the ranks.
The crowd support turns into a dead weight of expectations, the media interest becomes haunting, the ancient officials refuse to change and the guillotine above the coaches and the players forbids stability from setting in.
After a range of interesting points are raised, Dhiman offers an easy solution to allow the football in the state regain its glory. Otherwise, in the absence of a learned approach towards the game, the emergence of other footballing power-centres in the country & the change in social habits, the future of Kolkata football looks bleak indeed.
Listen Online (64 kbps) : ~ 41 mins
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