It was a week that set the world of sports agog with the kind of high-degree delights that were offered. First, the two top guns of new generation tennis Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz set up a scintillating final in the French Open, then there was the never-say-die football veteran and legend Cristiano Ronaldo doing what he always does best to help Portugal to the UEFA nations league title and then came South Africa’s grand moment, winning the World Test Championship for its maiden Test champion title. So unexpected that in this midst of such positivity, there had to be one tale of woe and that was Indian football! After the national team fell to lower-ranked Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier, India is all but out of the race for the premier event. That is one aspect of the sad phase but the key factor and of bigger concern is the continuing desperation among all those involved in the sport to pull the country out of the rut, so to say.

Where have all the feel and attitude of the fifties gone away, could be the refrain among the football lovers of earlier times. India was the superstar of Asia then and other nations were yet to catch or were unable to match Indian skills. The names of all those Indian stalwarts still come easily to mind but ask anyone of........

© Mathrubhumi English