The recent 128th edition of the Durand football tournament provided many unexpected clues to the future. It showed that despite the absence of the glamour clubs, Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Bengaluru FC, the tournament was a success due to the rising stature and popularity of clubs from the North-east.
Runners-up Neroca FC (Manipur) and semi-finalists Aizawl FC (Mizoram) proved that the club culture has got entrenched in the North-east. Both clubs attracted a large number of fans amongst the Manipuri and Mizo students and settlers in Delhi.
The Pool B clash between the two teams attracted a large number of excited fans and showed that regional derby matches are very popular. It was the first clash of two North-East teams in the capital and the intensity of the match and the crowd support was reminiscent of the first Kolkata derby match in the capital, East Bengal versus Mohun Bagan in the 1957 Durand semi-final. Both I-League teams from Goa, Dempo and Sporting Clube de Goa were beaten in their league matches by Army Red and Army Green respectively. In fact Army Green went to win the tournament overcoming Aizawl FC in the semi-finals and Neroca in the final via a penalty shootout.
This showed that there is only a shadowy line between the professional clubs and the well trained institutional teams in India.
The difference only becomes apparent when the professional clubs hire three foreign players. As Dempo and SCG played with only one foreigner, in the Durand tournament they could not cope with the speed, stamina and cohesiveness of the Army teams.
There were players in all the four Services outfits Army Green, Army Red, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy who have the potential to play professional football.
It is therefore essential that the All India Football Federation soon starts an all-India institutional league, which has been on the pipeline for some years now.
It could revive established institutional sides like Border Security Force and ONGC amongst others, provide employment if even on a contract basis to promising youngsters and increase the pool of talented players in the country.
Neroca, unbeaten on their way to the final, have shown that club culture is established in Manipur. Their coach Gift Raikhan said that Neroca’s success in the Durand tournament (Rs. 20 lakhs as prize money) would inspire other Manipuri clubs (12 in the local league) to venture out of the state.
Raikhan’s efforts last season helped Neroca get sponsors from local businessmen who own hotels and hospitals in Imphal. Thus they paid players adequately and former internationals like Sushil Singh, Subash Singh and Govin Singh returned to their home state. In the past star Manipuri players like Renedy Singh, Surkumar Singh, Gunabir Singh and Gourmangi Singh have won the Durand tournament for clubs outside their home state. Neroca’s success has shown there is an outlet for home grown Manipuri players.
Real Kashmir, a club formed in March 2016 and financed by the Kashmir Monitor a Srinagar newspaper, was a revelation a sit had all local players. The aim is to get talented youth in the valley employment in football and away from fundamentalism.
