The football pie will continue to enlarge, says Abhishek Yadav

Former India international footballer Abhishek Yadav believes the hosting of two International friendlies and four national camps in the city since last September will go a long way in reinvigorating the football scene in Mumbai. Yadav in his prime was a key striker for the disbanded Mahindra United and played for Mumbai FC before retiring from professional football.

The city is also among the six venues set to host the FIFA Under- 17 World Cup in October starting in less than hundred days time. DY Patil Stadium in Nerul will host a total of eight games among the overall 52. The tournament’s Group A matches will be played here along with a round of 16 game and a semi-final clash. The draw will happen in the city on July 7.

Mumbai’s Saurabh Meher and Gaston D’Silva have been part of India U-17 squad along with Kolhapur’s Aniket Jadhav. However, the team for the premier event is yet to be finalised.

The city’s own promising lanky striker of yesteryears, Yadav, believes that prime football activities in Mumbai will help sustain the enthusiasm of players and parents that tend to fizzle out after school.

“This activation goes a long way in reviving the football scene in Mumbai. Mumbai deserves this. With the numbers present in school football in the city, it is a shame the way action plummets once a player is out of school and later out of college. Parents also show a lot of energy during the child’s school playing days, but this energy dissipates after school. Bringing the national team to the city, I believe will help to sustain the interest of the youth and parents so that players do not drop out during the transition periods in the critical youth development phases,” he said.

Yadav, who was recently inducted into the all powerful executive committee of the All India Football Federation, praised Mumbai District Football Association chairman and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray for bringing football to Andheri, which has seen fewer football activities in the past even at local level.

“Also, the International matches and camps happened in that part of Mumbai city that has never seen organised school or club football happening. The work put in by Aaditya Thackeray deserves a special mention. His vision and desire to develop Mumbai/ Maharashtra Football are inspirational. A lot of international football that the city is enjoying of late was possible only because of Thackrey’s solid support,” he added.

The 37-year-old felt the relegation of his previous club Mumbai FC will not have any bearing on the overall growth of football in the city, though he wished more city teams play at the top level to increase the fan base.

“The football pie will continue to enlarge as it has in recent years. Relegation and promotion are part of the game. I wish more teams from Mumbai stay in the highest rung and all can create a loyal fan base that does not associate loyalty with setbacks like relegation. If the fanbase is real, a relegated club will be motivated and inspired to perform and bounce back. Financial backers will also like this,” he said.

Yadav, who has been running a Football School in Navi Mumbai after his retirement is currently the National Scouts Director of various age groups and also the COO of Indian U-17 national team. Yadav didn’t see the geographical size of Maharashtra as a constraint in the implementation of grassroots developmental programmes.

“It is not hard if we look at difficulties as challenges that need to be overcome. If we are geographically large, we are also large in numbers. It is a matter of organisation and structuring, and I feel that some state associations have done good work in some various areas. WIFA has been one of the best and active state association, under Souter Vaz and CEO Henry Menezes. There are multiple development activities that have been initiated and implemented not only for the players but also for the coaches and administrators,” Yadav concluded.