Constantine, a FIFA Instructor, explains the passion for football he has witnessed on his return to India, where he was in charge of the national team from 2002-2005. They may be renowned for their love of cricket but, as Constantine reveals, Indians are as excited by the FIFA World Cup as anyone.

Stephen Constantine: The rest of the world tends to think of India as cricket country, and nothing more. Well let me put the record straight. This is the second World Cup I have spent in India and everywhere you go, the interest in football is unimaginable.

From the kids playing in the street, to the fact that every TV commercial seems to have a World Cup angle right now, events in Germany are completely dominating daily life. And wherever I go, I am always being asked, ‘Coach, when are we going to the World Cup?’

Football in India is alive and kicking and there is a great deal of talent but unfortunately, I still have the impression that much more could be done to help the game develop, at grassroots and at the top level. The World Cup has added to the excitement, but the love of the game is deep-rooted anyway.

I am based in Mumbai this time. There is only one major club here, but there are still thousands of kids out kicking footballs - and this in the middle of the Monsoon season! The rains are so heavy they have to try and keep the ball off the ground so it doesn’t go in the water – but it’s a great way of improving their skills. We have also seen elephant football and guys playing matches on scooters and all this in the pouring rain!

Since the last World Cup the enthusiasm for the game has increased. The TV coverage has improved from four years ago and there are half a dozen national stations doing World Cup shows as well as another few hundred at local and state level.

The show that I am doing is called Boots of Gold and it goes out twice a day. We do an early show reviewing the previous night’s games, and then an afternoon show looking ahead to the matches later that day. The objective is to provide some interesting analysis and insight, to try and educate the fans about the game. Many people might find it surprising, but Indian fans are hugely knowledgeable about football, and always thirsty for more information.

It has been a roaring success. We have been inundated with emails, text messages and calls to our phone-ins. We are heading the national ratings for shows of this kind, with daily viewing figures of around ten million. For me it has been brilliant to come back to India and to see that football continues to grow in popularity, and if the game gets the right kind of support and investment, I am sure it will continue to do so.

For more information about Indian football visit: www.indianfootball.com

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