India is waiting to welcome the FIFA U-17 World Cup: Sachin Tendulkar

Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters’ co-owner and cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar wants India to make the most of the FIFA U17 World Cup coming to the country in 2017. “(It’s) Absolutely massive. Everyone is looking forward to it, everyone is excited and the guys are waiting to welcome the World Cup to India. It’s going to be massive, it’s good for India because people are appreciating ISL and FIFA coming to India is a big, big thing,” Tendulkar told Fifa.com in an exclusive interview. [caption id=“attachment_2136227” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Sachin Tendulkar. AFP[/caption] Tendulkar’s Blasters were beaten in the final last year and finished bottom of the table this season, but the Master Blaster is more worried about the brand of football they play than the results. He also admitted that the popularity of the sport is nowhere close to what cricket enjoys in India, but the process of idol-creation means that the sport and the ISL will steadily garner attention: “Football is getting popular – it’s nowhere near cricket, but I don’t like comparisons. It’s about appreciating each and every sport – the skills, the hard work and the sacrifices the players make. Each individual should be respected for that and Indian people are appreciating ISL in a big way. I’m thrilled that their response has been special and people are following not only the foreign players but the domestic players too. They are becoming heroes, role models and overall that is how football in India is going to grow,” he said. The Blasters get record attendances in their stadium in Kochi (an average of around 60,000 per match) but the national team’s performances are in huge contrast to the ISL extravaganza. India won just one match in their preliminary World Cup Qualification group and Tendulkar’s suggestion to improve the national showing is to strengthen domestic football. “I think the infrastructure of how football is run in India is going to become critical. How the season is played also becomes very important – you want to try to make your domestic season as competitive as possible and then find the best talent who are part of the ISL. With the exposure of having rubbed shoulders with some of the top footballers from all parts of the world, the Indian team will eventually benefit as well,” he said. Click here to read the full interview.