India footballer Robin Singh said on Tuesday that he was positive about India’s chances in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in June.
He added that “transition takes time” and said the event is “probably the biggest opportunity that the men’s National team can look forward to.”
India is set to play Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Hong Kong.
Acknowledging there is room for improvement in Indian football, he said that the Indian Super League (ISL) and the I-League, have bettered Indian football.
“There’s always room for improvement. That’s imperative - be it on the pitch, off it, the infrastructure, or the football. You always have to look for and achieve improvement,” Singh said.
“I-League has given us talents; from Bhaichung Bhutia to (Sunil) Chhetri. Several Indian talents have come up, specifically this ISL season. All of them have come in and played well. Manvir Singh, for instance,” he added.
Robin was welcoming of the new format of the ISL - two knockout matches to decide two semifinalists, and thus overall, six teams get the chance to go on and clinch the trophy.
“I think it’s a great idea. Usually, it used to be the semifinals and final. Now, you’ve got six teams playing. So, that gives another two teams the chance to prove their mettle and try to win the ISL. The format gives you more number of games which I think is important. The more football you play, the more you improve.”
Asked about his pick to win the league this time, he said, “Everybody that’s in the top-six at the moment is great. Every team on their day can beat any team.”
The importance of Futsal
Speaking over the phone on the eve of Tata Realty’s Intellion (corporate) Futsal League as its ambassador, Singh highlighted the part that Indian futsal could play a part in helping improve Indian football.
“Futsal doesn’t need much space. We all know that a professional-sized pitch is bigger than a futsal pitch. So, you can build smaller pitches, where everybody gets the opportunity to play. In futsal, it is such that you have to touch the ball a lot more, which in general, helps you technically as well. Since your space is confined, you got to have a better first touch, you got to play better, have awareness, and vision, which are just some key components of football in general.”
The 32-year-old, who’s donned the role of a football expert cum commentator, has been keenly looking to contribute to the sport he’s immensely benefitted from.
“I will have a conversation with the football federation (AIFF) on how I can help. Football has been very kind to me for over two decades. I am what I am because of what it has given me. That being said, that is the future - how I can give back to the football community, to Indian football. And with this Tata futsal league, that’s one step closer.
“I love my commentary stints. Someone stopped me at an airport and asked if they can get a picture with me. They said that they loved my commentary! It shows that people enjoy it. So, I wanna do it as much as I can and make people enjoy the sport.”
He said that putting on the Indian jersey for the first time, the East Bengal-Mohun Bagan derbies, and scoring the lone goal against Guam in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Bengaluru (in 2015) are his most-cherished memories so far.
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