India struggles to recruit overseas football talent

Kalyan Chaubey, the chief of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), recently spoke about the challenges of integrating Indian-origin players from abroad into the Indian national football team. His comments come at a time when Bangladesh has successfully signed Hamza Choudhury, a midfielder from England, for their squad. Chaubey acknowledged that AIFF is working on a policy framework to include overseas Indian-origin players. However, he noted that without clear guidelines, the selection process for the national team will remain unchanged. This raises concerns among Indian football fans, as Bangladesh has already made strides while India seems to lag behind. India's reliance on veteran player Sunil Chhetri was also highlighted. Chhetri, who returned from retirement to score in the recent win against the Maldives, leaves fans wondering who will replace him in the future. Chaubey emphasized the need for a long-term plan to develop Indian strikers and improve opportunities for local players, especially given the preference for foreign strikers in many clubs. Chaubey praised Chhetri as a leader and an inspiration, but he also recognized the difficulties faced by the Indian team in evolving past their reliance on one player. He pointed out that many countries allow dual citizenship, enabling players to compete for national teams. However, India does not recognize this, which complicates matters for Indian-origin athletes wanting to play for India. The past experiences of players like Michael Chopra underscore the issue. Despite his talent and discussions with the AIFF, Chopra could not play for India due to citizenship regulations. This situation highlights the need for reform in Indian football to better utilize the talent of players with Indian roots living abroad.