In what is an unprecedented move, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is set to embark on an ambitious plan to select 25 star players, who will be asked not to sign for any club in the next two seasons. The target is for them to play exclusively for the national team until the Doha Asia Cup in January 2011.

 Check out more here :

AIFF plans to buy out star players!

After successful year of winning Nehru Trophy and AFC Challenge CUP, India has already booked a berth in the 2011 Asia Cup.

Now, it seems that is not the only achievement. The team is currently in Hong-Kong for some friendly matches and there are reports of them traning in Spain this year.

Above all this, yesterday news broke out that an Indian player has agreed to move in Major League soccer.

catch the story here

Mumbai FC seems to have shaken up quite a lot of earth in the footballing circles in India. They are relatively new in the scene but that has not stopped them in stunning the old guards of Indian football. The league has not gone far but it has something new happening and that is welcomed.

Mumbai FC has overrun 3 prominent teams in the league; Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mahindra United. That does not happen very often in Indian Football. So in this 2nd edition of i-league, Mumbai FC seems to be the team to look out for.

Catch my latest blog about Mumbai FC here

India won the AFC challenge cup, which will earn them a berth in ASIA CUP in 2011. The victory was an emphatic one as they thrashed Tajikistan 4-1. India will play in Asia Cup after a gap of 24 long years!

Catch the Story here.

http://tushizap.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/afc-challenge-cup-08-is-indias/

Former Indian footballers are as anomymous as any rats or rodents hiding in some sewer in the supposedly "shining India". But football seems to be catching up and the latest in that is the AFC challenge cup happening in Hyderabad.

India has progressed to the finals, they will be playing Tajikistan and the final has been shifted from Hyderabad  to Delhi as incessant rains belted the city.

This is could very well help the home team India as in Delhi we expect a huge crowd to rally behind the team and in Hyderbad which boasts of a good stadium which can seat 30,000 hardly 1000's turned up for the matches played here.

To catch the stories of neglect, you are directed here.

http://tushizap.wordpress.com/2008/08/11/withstanding-the-stories-of-neglect-indian-football-rallies-on/

AFC Challenge Cup is happening in the age old city of Hyderbad. Spectators are less, but India has managed to find a place in semi finals, so what are their chances of winning the title defeating the likes of korea?

Catch the article here :

http://tushizap.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/afc-challenge-cup08-my-take-on-india-and-the-chances/

Mohammedan Sporting Club has a long long history, 1892 was when it was formed, after some years of slump, the club is trying to regroup and assert themselves on the national scene again as they are promoted to i-league.  But the team is struggling to find sponsorship and it seems the name has a part to play in it - Mohammedan. 

The cynic in me, suspiciously churns out one of those communal/caste/political blogs. In a way, i would say, these are some dubious thoughts i have about the popular culture. Some of these apprehensions are quashed comprehensively as it happened in a previous post of mine about a reality show in Kerala..

Catch the article here:

http://tushizap.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/name-leaves-you-without-sponsorship-in-indian-football/

If you did not know, Kozhikode has its own football league - KDFA - “Videocon” Kozhikode District Football League. Hardly will anyone be knowing the teams which play in this league. Each game attracts 100’s of spectators, some players have been picked by professional teams. As such after Olympian Rahman, there has not emerged any spectacluar players form this town. Still there is a lot of enthusisatic football fans here. If any of them, drop by, do cast your vote for your favorite team and do drop in bits and pieces of information about the league and football in general in Kozhikode. The last biggest thing happened in this town for football was that Arsenal were down to conduct some trials for kids and i am hearing that Nokia is going to sponsor a tournament here… I am eager to gather know something about this.

Lets not forget Sevens football here, I know some Tournaments that happen in Nalloor (near Feroke), Zamorins High School, Cheruvannur (Panchayat ground!) and so on. If you people are willing do enlighten me about the sevens scene also… you can vey well go ahead.

it will be apprecieated, if people could leave a comment, so as to know who supports whom.

http://tushizap.wordpress.com/2008/07/09/kozhikode-football-league-who-is-your-favorite/

You would have heard quite a buzz about India being the next economic giant, super power and what not. I dont subscribe to these ideas as person. But everyone over here India seems to be buoyant for something or the other.....

Sad to say, a footballers life in India is a tragedy. The i-league players dont leave in penury anymore, but local footballers who play in city leagues, distrcit leagues and State leagues dont earn much. Here is a story about a Chennai League Player being awarded with 500 Rs for being the top scorer.

Inflation in India is hovering around 11%, you will not be able to buy your supplies for a week with that money now...

 http://tushizap.wordpress.com/2008/05/18/top-scorer-get-rs-500-thats-football-in-india/

Santosh Trophy is a inter-state football tournament that garnered huge interest in the bygone days. It has lost its charm, our National Manager in Bob Houghton has called it "antiquated" and called for its scrapping. But for India, Santosh Trophy is more or less equilavent to the FA cup in UK. It has lost it charm, but that does not prove an adequate alibi for scrapping the tournament, India should try to reinvigorate, and make it an effective tournament which will help football grow in India. Not that i expect from our national association (AIFF), but i do have wonderful memories of players and games in Santosh Trophy, it even earned us an educational Holiday in 90's as our state emrged victorious..

So here goes my memoirs of this tournament....

http://tushizap.wordpress.com/2008/06/03/memoirs-of-a-great-footballing-spectacle-santosh-trophy/