Fans all over the world are eagerly awaiting the start of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Now that 32 teams are in the tournament, the competition is fiercer than ever. Because of its prominence, every nation strives to participate in the FIFA World Cup.
Fans in India share this desire for their national team to compete at the highest level possible. India, however, has not been able to participate in the World Cup for quite some time. The Indian team, led by captain Sunil Chettri, has been working hard to qualify for the World Cup but has been unsuccessful thus far. The chances of India qualifying for the 2022 World Cup are low for several reasons. Let’s analyse why that is the case.
Exactly why is India not participating in the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
FIFA, the International Football Association’s governing body, recently suspended the All India Football Federation, India’s national football governing body (AIFF). The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has reason to believe that AIFF’s governance was being improperly influenced by a third party, in breach of FIFA’s regulations. The situation was not beneficial for India, even if the ban was reversed soon after it was enacted. The Indian women’s football team almost avoided elimination from the Women’s Under-17 World Cup.
It may seem cruel to say that some of India’s highest honours are up for dispute. While it’s true that FIFA president Sepp Blatter labelled India the “Sleeping Giant” back in 2006, I wonder if that moniker is appropriate. Though it is widely acknowledged that India’s young players are exceptionally talented at drawing large crowds, winning fans’ hearts, and earning high ratings from the media and football fans alike, it is also undeniable that the country still has a long way to go before it can compete in the FIFA World Cup.
Since May 2019, Igor Stimac has been the head coach of the Indian national football team. Originally scheduled to leave his position in May 2021, his contract was extended by the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) to keep him in the role through September 2021. As of 2022, Igor Stimac has been named head coach of the Indian national football team, while Sunil Chhetri has been named both captain and leading scorer.
Exactly how long has it been since India was able to participate in the FIFA World Cup?
The 1950 FIFA World Cup was played in Brazil, and the Indian national team made it there. The team, however, was not selected to participate in the World Cup. However, it was common practice for Indian athletes to play without shoes. Simultaneously, wearing shoes was a requirement of FIFA for participation in the World Cup.
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Since Indian players were not accustomed to playing with shoes, they declined to participate in the competition. There was also the disagreement over who would be on the team, the fact that they hadn’t had enough time to prepare, the fact that neither the government nor the sports federation would cover the team’s tournament costs, etc.
So, there are several reasons why India isn’t participating in the FIFA World Cup, but as we’ve already established, politicians’ meddling is a big one. India’s ability to qualify for the FIFA World Cup has been hampered by several significant reasons.
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