U-17 World Cup: India's scouting team looked at 14,000 players

Panaji: Abhishek Yadav’s role in Indian football goes beyond scouting players for the National teams.

When the All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed the former India captain as director of scouting, Yadav had no idea where his job would take him, particularly with India hosting the Fifa U-17 World Cup, the biggest football event to be held in the sub-continent.

He held trials for aspiring players across the country. He travelled to little known places like Yavatmal and Burhanpur in Maharashtra, and then spent time in Dubai, hunting for that gem who could sparkle for India. There were a few who he liked in Dubai, and although all of them were turned down by former coach Nicolai Adam during a camp in Germany, the best one slipped through.

“I had come across a promising player in Dubai but his parents wouldn’t allow him to join the national team. For a lot of parents, the focus at this stage is studies. Then the next question follows, ‘what if my son gets injured’,” said Yadav, now the chief operating officer (COO) of the India under-17 team.

As a scout, the 37-year-old is not just looking at players; he has watched approximately 14,000 players – including amateurs – all of who wanted to be part of the national team, and spoken to several parents whose children had a promising future ahead of them.

“Like with the Dubai boy, I’ve not always succeeded,” said Yadav.

Not that he always failed. It was his persistence that convinced the US-based Deshpandes to allow their son, Namit, join the national team. Should he expectedly get the nod from coach Luis Norton de Matos, he will be the first NRI to represent India. Sunny Dhaliwal, a strapping giant of a goalkeeper from Canada, will be next on the list, thanks to an online scouting portal where players can upload their videos and grab attention.

“As head of scouting, my job is to ensure that every Indian, whether he is living in India or abroad, gets an opportunity. Talent without opportunity means nothing,” said Yadav, who received 50-odd videos of NRIs from diverse countries like the United States, Poland and even Ghana.

Yadav admits he and his team may have not reached every player. India is too big a country to visit each pocket physically. Someone, somewhere, somehow will always get left out. But that may not necessarily be due to lack of effort.

“We have tried our best and put together a good squad. India is vast, so reaching out (to everyone) is difficult, but in terms of talent, I have no doubt, it’s immense,” he said.

That’s particularly true of juniors. Over the years, senior footballers in India can showcase their skills in the I-League or the Indian Super League (ISL) or at least at the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy. Yadav even found a player from the All-India University Championship – Davinder Singh – good enough to make his debut for the national team, but with juniors, it’s an altogether different task.

“Some of the players in the (U-17) team were not playing anywhere when we spotted them,” said Yadav.

As India turns its attention to the World Cup squad, Yadav’s eyes will be focused on a few gems. Should they stay true to the promise they showed during trials, it would be mission successful.