National Games 2023: With a shot in the arm, Beach football ready for the next plunge

Colva (Goa): October is a time when beach enthusiasts start flocking in the picturesque beaches of Goa to have an ideal holiday. However, this time around, with the state hosting the 37th National Games, the Colva beach in South Goa is also enthralling the tourists with Beach Football action.

Still outside the ambit of mainstream sports in India, Beach Football, however, has grown in the country in leaps and bounds over the years and even states which don’t have a coast have sent a team to participate in the National Games.

Organisers are of the view that this will not only motivate youngsters to take up Beach Football as a profession but the sport will also be viewed beyond being just a recreational activity as playing football on the beach requires speed, agility, and quickness.

The eight teams in action at the National Games include costal states of Goa, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Odisha along with Delhi, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Punjab.

While Goa and Kerala have a long history of Beach Football, the obvious question that comes to mind is how do the states that do not have a beach train for this sport.

“As we all know there is no beach in Delhi. One needs to travel to Mumbai or Goa for proper practice sessions, which is also not possible every time. However, that said, the players are extremely professional and passionate about this sport and we are here to make a difference,” said Delhi team manager Mohammed Naeem.

But Naeem insists that the popularity of the sport is already growing even in the National Capital. In fact, the AIFF has laid down a proposal to build a beach football facility at the Nehru Stadium in Delhi. The plan is currently in the pipeline and I am hopeful it will be done soon,” he added.

Jharkhand is another state that has no beaches and hence the team has been training on regular ground. But despite the lack of proper training, the team didn’t want to let go of an opportunity to play in the National Games and bank on their natural footballing skills to perform.

“It is a huge learning curve for all the team members, including myself. We want to show everyone that a non-coastal state like Jharkhand can also excel in a sport like beach football,” said Jharkhand coach Mohammed Farid Khan.

Kerala and Lakshadweep, however, are two states that are dotted with innumerable beaches, and hence the passion among footballers to excel in this format come naturally.

“I have been coaching this side since the 1st Beach Football Nationals conducted by the All India Football Federation in Surat last year. We performed well there and have a strong team in Goa this time around,” said Kerala coach Sashin Chandran. Talking about the popularity of the 7-a-side beach football in Kerala, Chandran pointed out that 10 out of 14 districts in Kerala are dotted with beaches and there is no dearth of excitement among youngsters to take up this sport and excel.

“I think beach football has a bright future in India, given its structure and how it is played. If you look at this Kerala side, we have some talented players like Suhail, Mohsin, Sreejith, and Roy. I am sure this game will grow massively in the next five years if there are proper grassroot program,” said Sashin Chandran, who feels anything short of a podium finish would be an underachievement for his team.

The Union Territory of Lakshadweep, however, has set a modest target of making it to the semifinals as they have been practicing together only since the first week of October.

“Given the number of beaches we have in our state, we take this sport very seriously. Many footballers take active interest in both the 5-a-side and 7-a-side formats and there is a surge in popularity for sure,” Lakshadweep coach Ahmed Rashid said.

Both Chandran and Rashid insisted that the time is ripe for the AIFF to actively promote beach football across country.

“It is heartening to see that so many non-coastal states like Delhi, Jharkhand, Punjab, and even Uttarakhand have fielded teams and this goes on to show the rising popularity of this sport. This (National Games) is a historic event for all of us,” Chandran said.

“The goal is to see an Indian team participating in the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup and we can do it, given there are so many talented footballers who know the nitty gritty of this format. The AIFF must take necessary steps to ensure beach football grows in this country and more and more youngsters take active interest in it,” Rashid concluded.