Neel Shah and Gaurav Gala
If we can win World Cups in cricket, why can’t we even qualify in football? What will it take for a nation of 1.38 billion people to take its rightful place in the world football hierarchy? Awakening the Blue Tigers seeks to answer these and other related questions. How can the country’s passion for the FIFA World Cup be leveraged? How are properties like the FIFA U-17 World Cup and Indian Super League in association with private players and NGOs like Slum Soccer bringing about a paradigm shift? How does football offer a way out of poverty? Tackling head-on the ills and issues that plague the development of football in India, the authors, veterans of the sports industry, provide an up-close and fascinating look at the ecosystem around the game. Even as the obsession for FIFA World Cup 2022 reaches fever pitch, this book – full of anecdotes, insights, and reflections from football legends, industry professionals, and unsung heroes – provides a clear and precise road map to help India reach its full potential as a football nation.
