Bhaichung Bhutia believes investing in grassroots development is the only way to propel the game forward in India . He said footballers of any age should have enough competitive matches to excel in international tournaments .
BENGALURU (BENGALURU) — Former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia believes that investing in grassroots development is the only way to propel the game forward in the region.He said footballers of any age in the region should have enough competitive matches to excel in international tournaments.You need to invest in the youth, grassroots development, so that the player and the club benefit from it, and thats how football develops in the world.On the sidelines of an event here on Tuesday, Bhutia told PTI that this is the only way to really push football forward in India.
We are unfortunately failing to make them compete.Children aren't able to train and compete in their own age group.Thats been the biggest challenge.The legendary striker also argued for adopting the European clubs' approach, which invests in young talent and prepares them to be elite players. So you invest in the grassroots.You're looking at the grassroots raw and then taking talent and training to be a huge benefit for the club and the nation, and that's where the club also generates income, Bhutia said.In Africa and South America, a lot of clubs acquire raw talent from the grassroots, prepare them, and then sell them to big clubs in Europe.They go back and play for their country, and that is where the country also reaps the most from the talent. I think this is the technique that will truly benefit you.