Jaipur: As India's two popular sports stars - cricketer Anil Kumble and footballer Baichung Bhutia - took center stage at the front lawns of Diggi Palace on the second day of Jaipur Literature Festival here, the crowd welcomed them with thunderous applause and loud cheers. The two sports stars were in conversation with Ronojoy Sen, Suresh Menon and Sidin Vadukut as they launched the Wisden India Almanack.
The conversation was not primarily about the sport that the country most loves. But the former Indian football captain, for that matter, slayed the sport in his own charming way and the crowd went mad cheering for him.
When moderator Vadukut asked if Bhutia was fed up with the number of books on cricket that are released, he nonchalantly answered, "I am not actually. Because I don't read any of these books."
Bhutia was at his wittiest best throughout as he tackled questions on why cricket gets more precedence over other sports in the country. "Cricket dominates India because no other sport has been able to reach the level that this sport has."
But Bhutia's disinterest in the sport seemed evident as he recalled an incident when he went to watch an IPL final a few years ago. "Unlike football, cricket lacks passionate fans. During the IPL final, in between the fours and sixes, the game was boring. At one point of time, there was a loud cheer from the crowd. I thought someone had scored a six but no, the crowd was excited to watch Shah Rukh Khan on the big screen," said Bhutia and added, "No one was really bothered about who won and who lost. If it was a Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal match, fans of the losing team would have created a ruckus outside the stadium. I am not saying that's good, but that's what happens in football."
The panel agreed that BCCI and Jagmohan Dalmiya had a significant role in changing the face of Indian cricket. "Things changed financially for Indian cricket post 1996 world cup," said Kumble, to which Bhutia quipped, "I hope BCCI gives a certain percentage of money to football. Indian football lacks money."
Kumble himself admitted that the game was very commercial now. "No other sport gives you the opportunity to put an advertisement after every two minutes," Kumble, who has also captained India, said.
Bhutia was honest enough to admit that there were impending problems in Indian football that needed urgent attention. "State associations have to change and pitch in for development of football in their respective states. Grass root level needs to be tapped. World football focuses so much on grass root level players. But in India people who work at that level to develop skills of young footballers are not even financially benefited."
Kumble added: "In India, people relate to Ronaldo or Pele but they should relate to Bhutia. People need to relate to other sports players as well. Everyone wants to be a Sachin Tendulkar; we need more people to aspire to become Baichung Bhutia."
Baichung, who is in the advisory committee of the football federation, stated that attempts are being made to bring change in football in the country. "We got to focus on new development and make every state association to follow it. Coaches in India need to be trained better so that they can create future stars."
When Vadukut asked if there was really that much talent at the grass root level, the footballer ended with perhaps the quote of the evening: "India has missed out on hundreds of Messis. We need to tap them."
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