Even if it is by sheer chance, Indian football stands on the cusp of history as the hosts are set to make their debut in a FIFA event, the Under-17 World Cup that begins here on Friday.
India's opener, against the formidable USA in a Group A match which has tougher sides like Colombia and Ghana in it, may not offer the Indian colts much chance of victory. However, what should make this bunch led by Amarjit Singh swell their chest with pride is becoming the first team ever from the country to feature in any FIFA World Cup.
Having earned automatic qualification by virtue of being hosts, one has to give it to the Union government and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) who have invested money as well as time to not just build world-class infrastructure, but also a strong team for the tournament.
For the record, the central government has spent Rs 120 crore in improving the football infrastructure in India. Apart from this, state governments of the six host cities have also shelled out an additional Rs 250 crore approximately in refurbishing the facilities.
Mind you, this is above the Rs 90 crore that FIFA had given to India to organise the tournament.
In terms of preparedness, a whopping Rs 18 crore has been spend only on the camps conducted for these budding footballers. In fact, the AIFF Academy has been home for these bunch of young players over the last four years in order to develop a competitive Indian team.
There has been no dearth of exposure trips as well. From Europe to Mexico, India have played 109 matches that started from their sojourn to Germany in July 2015. To put it simply, these boys have seen four continents and 18 countries over the last two years.
And now, it's time for these boys to show in all on the field in front of a packed Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium. The side's show will provide an apt picture on how much the "sleeping giants" of world football have progressed so far.
This is India's most prepared national team in the history of Indian football, but they'll be up against a US team known for its man-to-man marking and. Most of the American players are part of Major League Soccer (MLS) youth teams and some of them are even part of European clubs.
Despite the odds, head coach Luis Norton de Matos has managed to win the confidence of the players during his brief stint of seven months after the sacking of German Nicolai Adam. Portuguese de Matos has warned his young players of dreaming of miracles but at the same time, has asked each one of them to make it a lifetime experience.
His focus is simple: India cannot play an open game. Rather, the focus should be on not conceding early goals. Counter-attacks is what he believes could rattle opponents.
If his most important personnel is Dheeraj Singh at the goal, then the six-feet-two-inch defensive midfielder Jeakson Singh is his key man in the defence, while captain Amarjit and Suresh Singh Wanjam are his stars in the midfield.
Irrespective of the results, this occasion has already made a huge difference to the psyche of every Indian player. Never in their lives have they seen so much being written about them.
There may have just a little hope of making it to the next round, but the Amarjit-led team is ready to give its best over the next seven days to make it an unforgettable occasion for the home fans.
And who knows, miracles do happen.
TODAY’S FIXTURES
Ghana vs Colombia: New Delhi, 5pm
New Zealand vs Turkey: Navi Mumbai, 5pm
India vs USA: New Delhi, 8pm
Paraguay vs Mali: Navi Mumbai, 8pm
Live on: Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3, Sony ESPN
