Punjab football: In the twilight zone

The diehard football fans in Punjab refuse to believe that the sport is losing ground in the state

Updated At : 07:08 AM Jul 15, 2018 IST

JCT FC monopolised the game in the state for nearly four decades Tribune file photo

Gaurav Kanthwal in Chandigarh

The die-hard football fans in Punjab refuse to believe that the sport is losing ground in the state. They throw in the numbers to support their claim.

Four players from Punjab represented India in the recently-concluded Intercontinental Cup. Last year, Minerva Punjab Football Club were crowned the I-League champions. In the AIFF U-16 Youth I-League, the Punjab-based Minerva Club have been the champions since the last three years (2015, 2016, 2017). At least 30 per cent players from northern region make up the I-League. A large number of players in the Indian Super League (ISL) are from Punjab since its conception in 2013.

So why is the buzz missing? Is it so because there are no big names or clubs in the state anymore? There have been some international stars in the past — Jarnail Singh Dhillon, Gurdev Singh Gill, Inder Singh, Gurcharan Singh Parmar, Harjinder Singh, Parminder Singh and Sukhwinder Singh but not many any more. It has been seven years since Jagatjit Cotton and Textile Football Club (JCT FC) shut shop.

“The game draws its strength and popularity from a club culture and professional leagues. In the absence of clubs or fans, there will be hardly any takers or players. We still have Gurpreet Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Balwant Singh, Sandesh Jhinghan in the team," says Sukhwinder Singh, who has managed JCT, Churchill Brothers, Pailan Airows and the India U-23 team in the past.

JCT shutting shop is not the only reason behind the decline. The absence of qualified coaches in rural academies, problem of overage players, lack of infrastructure and financial constraints are some of the issues troubling the game in the state.

Many scouts from the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) say Punjab is producing quantity but not quality. Budding footballers are being taught outdated techniques.

"Skill-wise, the new crop of Punjab players was satisfactory but the India U-17 coach Nikolai Adam and other coaches were not satisfied with the level of aggression, understanding of the game and match awareness among players," adds an AIFF scout who had visited Punjab before the FIFA U-17 World Cup last year.

Not just qualified coaches, the state does not have even a single football stadium conforming to international standards. Last year, Minerva Punjab FC stunned fans by winning the I-League title, raising hopes about resurrection of the game in the state. However, just a year later, the Mohali-based club has been bogged down by various administrative issues.

Past glory

There was a time when JCT FC and football were synonymous in Punjab. After the decline of Leaders Club, Punjab's first professional football club, JCT FC monopolised the game in the state for nearly four decades. Being a professional club with home-grown players, it boosted the confidence of budding players, ensuring a regular supply of raw talent.

Set up in 1971, JCT hogged the limelight in 1990s, winning Federation Cup twice in 1995 and 1996. The Phagwara-based club won the inaugural National Football League (1996-1997), Durand Cup (1976, 1983, 1986, 1992, 1996), Rovers Cup (1997), and IFA Shield (1996), among many tournaments.

Along with its winning streak, what made JCT popular in Punjab was its ability to attract top Indian football stars. IM Vijayan (1994), Jo Paul Ancheri (1994), Bhaichung Bhutia (1995), Sunil Chettri (2005) all have donned the JCT jersey and played a big role in popularising the game in Punjab.

Diminishing fortunes

However, in 2011, the club pulled out of the I-League after being relegated to the second division. It had already been running into losses for years. JCT officials were dissatisfied with the AIFF of not doing enough to give exposure to the team on TV. They decided concentrate on their age-group teams.

There was a time when the state boasted of four national-level teams — Punjab Police (PP), Border Security Force (BSF) Jalandhar, JCT FC, Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB).

Punjab has an impressive history of winning the Santosh Trophy eight times and reaching the final 14 times. But Punjab's reputation as a football powerhouse is largely built on their dominance in the Durand Cup. Only Kolkata-based clubs could challenge Punjab in the tournament. BSF Jalandhar and JCT Mills were the two consecutive finalists in 1975 and 1976. In 1971, BSF Jalandhar faced Leaders Club in the final.

Troubling times

Harjinder Singh, former India left winger and one of the two members selected for the Asian All-Star team in 1974, says, "Players do not have a regular source of income. Punjab Police, BSF and PSEB teams are no longer aggressively pursuing sports. Hence their interest in nurturing players has also waned. The state government shows no interest in reviving football. How long can you expect fans to hang on?"

A thriving club culture, infrastructural development, support to rural academies and active government participation is the need of the hour to preserve Punjab's football legacy.