Stars are born

Several pundits reckoned this was the most competitive edition of the junior World Cup in recent times. (Representational)

By the time the three-week-long celebration of the world’s finest under-17 footballing talent concluded with a thrilling final, even the staunchest cynics were singing praises of the outstanding quality showcased in the tournament. Several pundits reckoned this was the most competitive edition of the junior World Cup in recent times. While at the start of the tournament there were apprehensions that some of the better-known players would skip the event — a worry that redoubled when Brazil’s Vinicius Junior pulled out — it soon gave way to mounting excitement as the tournament saw not only the stars shining but new ones bursting into the galaxy.

Not all of them, not even the likes of Abel Ruiz or Angel Gomes or Paulinho or Rhian Brewster, are guaranteed to bloom into global stars like Lionel Messi or Andres Iniesta. But the promise, courage and fortitude they demonstrated were exemplary. India has neither hosted nor witnessed on home soil a footballing event of such scale and grandeur. Most of the stadiums in the country’s football-crazy pockets ran full house, with the audience establishing a warm rapport with the players. That the support was extended not only to biggies like Brazil, Spain, Germany and England, but also to North Korea, Ghana and Mali is heartening. It portends a genuine footballing culture taking shape in the country.

In several ways, the tournament was a feather in the cap for India, though statistically, the Indian team had the worst figures among the 24 that participated in it. The tournament rolled out more or less smoothly, bereft of the usual glitches or scandals that marked the last major non-cricketing tournament (the Commonwealth Games in 2010) hosted in the country. Hence the optimism behind bidding for the U-20 World Cup in 2019. From purely the players’ perspective, it would equip India’s budding players with the confidence and composure to play better teams. Their exposure level is unmatched for any generation of Indian footballers in the past. It’s now time to celebrate and build on this success.