Hyderabad: Over the years the craze for football has been rapidly increasing in India. Hyderabad, not falling behind, has become a hub for the sport.
Many city-wide tournaments are being organized in the city to promote football. The “Brotherhood Trophy” being one of the biggest football tournaments in Hyderabad, successfully held its second season on October 5 and 6.
The Siasat Daily spoke to the participating teams about the craze for football in India and the future the sport holds.
Hari, a student from Kerala said that there are a lot of talented players in India, however, they don’t get the support they need. Another player said that football will come to India but it will take some time.
When asked what are the main obstacles, he cited corruption and privilege which gives people opportunities.
Ahmed said, “Football is growing very fast, after seeing the success the Sunil Chetri, we also feel motivated to pursue football and go for training.” He added that from Hyderabad itself, we will see players like Ronaldo and Messi come out.
His teammate, Faraaz remarked, “We know players in Hyderabad who play like Ronaldo and Messi.”
The brotherhood trophy is organised annually by the Students’ Islamic Organization (SIO) to promote harmony and fitness among youngsters. According to Hafiz Hammaduddin, the PR secretary of SIO Hyderabad, 104 teams participated in this year’s tournament.
The prize for winners under 18 is 12,000 rupees and for those under 23 is 15,000 rupees. For the runners-up, the prize was 7,500 and 8,000 rupees respectively.
