SUNBURNT TERRACE: ISL has provided the fireworks, but where is the patience

ONE OF THE MOST pertinent points made during the recently held Star Sports Indian Football Forum 2015 event was from DFL Sports Chief Representative (Asia Pacific) Peter Leible. Here to promote Bundesliga, he made a presentation on the improvement efforts made in German football over the past two decades and drew a parallel to India, saying,

"It took us 15 years to get there. When we started, German football was already a well-developed sport. India, in that aspect, is far far behind. You will have to be patient to see results."

And that is something to be expected when we as a nation are fighting against 170-odd countries that are outdoing us in the FIFA rankings.

Patience, however, seems to be the one virtue lacking in much of the Indian football landscape. The Indian Super League has proved beyond doubt that football can become a pan-India sport, a potential strong number 2 after cricket. But while sponsors are more than willing to pour money into the ISL itself, the overall development of Indian football is still struggling to find stakeholders. And that is entirely down to the fact that it has no instant gratification in store for the sponsors.