What the future holds for India's young history-makers after FIFA Under-17 World Cup

History made, battle fought, hearts won. Now, the most pertinent question staring at the boys who gave it their all over the past one week in the FIFA U-17 World Cup is: what next?

Ever since India was awarded the hosting rights of the U-17 World Cup by FIFA in December 2013, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) went about the process of picking up promising players from across the country to represent India at the World Cup, an automatic right given to the host nation.

Four years on, a squad of 21 that was believed to be the best in the age group was chosen to have the honour of playing for India for the first time in any FIFA World Cup.

And on October 6, as those 21 boys walked out on the park of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi to face USA in the opener, a new chapter in Indian football was written.

The hosts lost all their three group games, and expectedly at that, for even one draw would've been termed a success, and victory a miracle.

But except for the final 10 minutes against Ghana, the Blue Cubs ensured that they bowed out of the tournament with their heads held high, that they weren't completely blown away by their opponents.
In that sense, Indian football's latest chapter was a joy to read for the fans.

However, the task now is to ensure that the chapter doesn't see a premature climax, and that the promise shown by these young ones is tapped into.

Next target: 2019 U-20 WC

The first step that the AIFF has taken in this regard is to keep this flock together for at least another couple of years. A majority of these players will be promoted in India's U-19 side that will take part in the 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers to be held in Saudi Arabia in November this year.

Should India qualify, they will go on to play in the 2018 AFC U-19 Championship in Indonesia in October-November 2018. The top four teams in that tournament will qualify for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

That is the AIFF's next big target, both on the field and off it. Not only does the federation want the U-19 team to qualify for the world event, but has also bid to host it, which will again guarantee India automatic qualification.

"Immediately, these boys will play the U-19 AFC qualifiers," AIFF general secretary Kushal Das said. "We'd like to have the U-19 team qualify for U-20 World Cup in 2019."

The second step is fielding a team with most of these boys in the I-League. The AIFF has decided to revive its developmental team – called the Arrows project – in the league for the upcoming season.

"We'll have a team playing the I-League with these boys," Das said. "They will be a team like the Arrows were (from 2010 to 2013)."

The AIFF secretary added that should some of the more eye-grabbing players be picked up by Indian Super League (ISL) clubs or even foreign clubs, it wouldn't stop them.

"We'll try to keep as many of the boys together as possible. If some of the boys get great opportunities outside India, we'll consider that. But as of now, they will play the I-League along with some U-19 boys who we're trying to select," he added.

Challenges going forward

And therein lies the catch, as well as the challenge.

Playing in the I-League, or the ISL for that matter, after the World Cup experience will be considered a major step down for these boys, both in terms of skills and exposure.

India U-17 head coach Luis Norton de Matos said it in as many words after India's last defeat to Ghana.

"This (FIFA U-17 World Cup) is better than I-League, this experience is stronger than I-League. Because I know very well when the ISL teams go to play against the 4th division sides in Spain, they lose," the Portuguese coach said.

Former India footballer Renedy Singh, who played at the international level from 1998 to 2011, gives an apt example of promise at the junior level not being translated into the senior set-up.

"When we played in the Asian U-19s, we drew with Syria 1-1, drew with China 1-1, lost to Japan 0-2. Not much difference, right? After seven years when we played Japan, we lost 0-7. Can you imagine our senior team drawing with China right now? No.

"So, you see the difference. In those seven years, the entire training system went wrong somewhere. We shouldn't make the same mistake with these kids.

"They are doing well now, and if we continue to give them the best training and best infrastructure facilities, they will continue to do well going ahead," the former midfielder from Imphal said.

It is up to the stakeholders of Indian football, and the players as well, to ensure that history does not repeat itself, and that Indian football continues to provide new chapters over the next decade.