AIFF strategic roadmap: Focus on making India a powerhouse of Asian football, developing national football philosophy

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Saturday announced its ‘Strategic Roadmap’ with ‘Vision 2047’ which is touted to take Indian football to greater heights. The plan, which was announced by AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and general secretary Shaji Prabhakaran, includes both short-term and long-term visions for Indian football with the immediate focus on qualification for the FIFA U17 World Cups in 2026 for both men and women on merit. Also, AIFF is hoping that India will emerge as a new powerhouse of Asian football in 2047, which is the country’s centenary year of independence. ‘Vision 2047’ has been broken down, for diligent implementation, into six four-year strategic plans. The first of these will look to cover the period till 2026. “Vision 2047 paints a picture of where we want to position Indian Football at the outset of a hundred years of our nation’s independence,” Chaubey said at a press conference on Saturday. “At a time when India’s role is becoming increasingly prominent on the world stage, we embark on a journey as ambitious as our nation itself. However, this is not a journey for the federation alone, but one that will be traversed together by every entity that is connected to Indian football. “With a shared vision and by sharing responsibility, we can implement targeted programmes to address key areas identified in this roadmap and help build capacity for the football ecosystem. “I dream of reviving the glory days of Indian Football as it was in the 1950s and 60s and becoming a powerhouse of Asian football once again. It is our right to dream and our duty to do everything it takes to fulfill that dream. Together, we can aspire to take Indian Football to peaks never scaled before.” More game time for players One of the key aspects of the roadmap is to ensure increased access to competition and games for players plying their trade in the country. By 2047, the federation wants to ensure players will be able to play at least 55 matches across different competitions every season. “Transformation will begin at home through a reform of the organisational culture,” said secretary Prabhakaran, referring to a need for better governance of the game across the country. “A restructuring exercise will be carried out to streamline current operations and develop a team which adopts the industry’s best practices and is transparent in its dealings.” Target for 2036 “By 2036, the centenary of the federation, India will be among the top seven countries in Asia, and a strong contender to qualify for the World Cup on merit,” Prabhakaran said. Grassroots development Also, AIFF observed that at the grassroots, football, currently, has low participation relative to its size and population. Hence, the federation’s 2026 target is to reach 35 million children through grassroots programmes and implement village grassroots programmes across 100 villages throughout the nation. The flagship grassroots project will also aim to register 1 million registered players and provide football education to 25 million children through ‘Football for Schools’. National football philosophy One of the cornerstones of the roadmap is the creation of a national playing philosophy, which will be developed over time after consultation, observation and exploration. Subsequently, the ‘Coach Education Program’ structure will be developed in line with the body’s ‘Indian National Football Philosophy’. The improvement of footballing quality at all levels of the ecosystem demands better coaching and with that in mind, the roadmap targets creating 50,000 active coaches — almost 4,500 with a minimum AIFF C License — across the country. AIFF also identified 11 core areas on which they will be focusing as per the ‘Vision 2047’:

• Governance
• Infrastructure
• Digital Transformation
• Refereeing
• Clubs
• Grassroots
• Talent Identification and development
• Coach Education
• Competitions
• National Teams
• Marketing and Commercialisation

Summary of AIFF’s roadmap: Vision: To make football an incredible sport for incredible India by building an ecosystem that would be a value proposition not only for India but for the world. Mission: Football to be a sport of the masses, with a focus on driving joy in communities, fostering excellence and being an agent of social change through teamwork & collaboration. Year 2047 Goals:

• Among the top 4 in Asia
• Having a vibrant football ecosystem in India
• One of the top 3 Football Leagues in Asia across genders
• At least one iconic player with International stardom in both Men’s and Women’s Football

A key focus of the Strategic Roadmap, Dr Prabhakaran said, is on “increasing the commercial viability by creating economic value for all our stakeholders, especially players.” The Federation will create effective feedback mechanisms that will ensure it is among the best government sports organisations in the country. The roadmap also lists creation of new assets in football, futsal, and beach soccer to engage sponsors and diversify target audiences to broaden the reach of Indian Football. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.