Indian football needs to develop quality players over a period of time, claims Bhaichung Bhutia
Ex-Indian skipper Bhaichung Bhutia feels that India needs to produce better players over a period of time to see establish themselves as a powerhouse in Asia. He stated that the Indian football should aim at regular qualification for big-ticket events like the Asian Cup and FIFA Youth World Cups.
Even though Indian football has gone through a sea of transformation over the last few years, there is plenty of scope for improvement, especially after poor performances in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. It would be foolish not to agree that the country has produced good footballers in the recent past, but the game demands more, especially to establish a foothold in Asia. Former Indian skipper Bhachung Bhutia admitted the same and added that India needs to keep on producing better footballers over a period of time to make a mark at the continental level.
“For the national team, we need to keep producing good quality players. We do have good players at the moment but if we want to compete with the best in Asia, we need to keep producing bigger and better players,” said Bhaichung Bhutia, to AIFF TV.
A lot of stress has been given to grassroots development in the past few years, especially following the introduction of the Indian Super League and the results are visible. But, according to Bhaichung, Indian football should aim at qualifying for big-ticket events like the Asian Cup and the Youth World Cups on a regular basis.
“AIFF has focused on grassroots a lot. We need to be strong at the grassroots and we are working on it. Our target for the national teams should be qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup and the FIFA youth World Cups on a regular basis,” added the former skipper.