Talent hunt: Now, Bayern Munich is betting on India

Sponsors may not be queuing up to funnel their money into Indian football, but European football teams are making a beeline towards it.

After Arsenal’s move to come scouting India for fresh young talent in mid-2008 other European teams have followed suit. Arsenal had in 2008 selected and trained 16 Kolkata schoolboys at its training facilities in London.

Following the trend, on 2 September, Argentina and Venezuela played a friendly match in Kolkata , even as Venky’s-owned Blackburn Rovers played Pune FC on 8 October beat them 3-0.

The latest football club to have come calling was German giant Bayern Munich. The club, over a two day camp in New Delhi, saw Bayern looking for 11 talented footballers to be trained under them and play for them in next year’s Bayern Munich Youth Cup — soon after the Champions League in May 2012.

The camp which took place last weekend — 15 and 16 October — saw Delhi’s young football enthusiasts go all out to display their footwork to the bigwigs of Bayern Munich.

Martin Haegele, an official at the football club said they were looking for Indian kids who had the potential to be world class.

Werner Kern. coach, Bayern Munich stressed the importance of catching talent young. “If the younger player is not better than the older player then they will not have a chance to play,” he said, adding, “You have to start with education and patience and once it pays, it pays big.”

Indian football team captain, Bhaichung Bhutia, was also present at the camp. Bhutia is slated to play his last match against Bayern Munich in January 2012. “Bayern is a great team, big team. Yes, it’s going to be a very very tough game, but I think it’s a great opportunity and if at the end of January I’m fit, I will be playing this (match),” Bhutia said.

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