Live India, Love Football

“When is football in India going to reach its potential?” I’ve heard the same question over and over in conferences, in meetings, at parties and during every family gathering for the past 8 years of my association with this sport in this country.   It’s a simple but complex question given India’s size, the structural & bureaucratic challenges of this country and the fact that no one really knows what India’s “footballing potential” truly is.   Growth takes time yet for some reason so many stakeholders within and outside of the industry feel that Indian football should transform into what’s seen in England and Germany overnight.   Obviously this is not possible and it takes focused, intelligent investment and action from a number of passionate and patient individuals to truly make an impact on the football landscape in this country. Thankfully, Shirish Kulkarni is one of those individuals.   I met Shirish back in 2013 in a Munich hotel when he was considering different options

I remember back in 2009 when I was exploring the idea of moving to India full-time, I dreamed that my life in this country would be rich; a consistent concoction of new places, people and experiences.  To be honest, while the opportunity to contribute to football in my parent’s country of origin was my primary motivation to eventually make the move, it was the potential for growth and adventure which ultimately sealed the deal. But I’ve realized that there are different types of adventure. Anyone can pack a bag, buy a Eurorail pass and take a back-packing trip through Europe and it would certainly be adventurous, however the type of adventure I was looking for in India was a bit different, it involved building solid friendships, diving deeper into Indian culture, experiencing deep personal growth and impacting the sports industry along the way. This past month is the perfect example of what I was dreaming of while in my Brooklyn, NY apartment back in 2009.   A month of travel, cul