Elsewhere In Football #17
- Nov 26, 2025
- 3 min read
Another Fascinating Fortnight in India: Football’s Crisis, Sahayak’s Momentum, and a Taste of Nepal
It’s been another fascinating couple of weeks here in India. The Sahayak project continues to gather real momentum, the national setup has unfortunately hit new lows, and a short three-day trip to Nepal has left me wanting more. Plenty to reflect on.
Indian Football Is Hanging by a Thread.....
It’s been a disastrous year for Indian football. The climax of the Indian Super League was overshadowed by player and owner protests, leaving uncertainty over whether another season will even take place. The complexities behind the turmoil are far too deep to unpack fully here—frankly, that would require an entire blog of its own, and even then I’m not sure I could offer much beyond what’s already being reported elsewhere.
But what I can say is this: it’s becoming an increasingly embarrassing situation for the world’s most populated country.
This bleak period has been made worse by a painful international break. Cape Verde and Curaçao have secured their places at the World Cup, while India suffered a loss to neighbours Bangladesh. The gulf in ambition has never been more visible. The fact that a nation of 1.4 billion people cannot produce a competitive football team tells you something is fundamentally wrong.
It’s a topic I’ve been studying closely since I arrived, and I’ll share my findings in the new year. What I can say for now is that there is no instant fix. The problems run deep—deep enough that they will take time, patience, and serious structural change. But they are fixable.
Laying the Foundations With Sahayak.....
In contrast to the national picture, the Sahayak program in Haldwani is building genuine momentum and hope.
In my last post, I wrote about the launch of our junior soccer league. It has been a breath of fresh air for the community. As we approach week three, we’re already seeing remarkable improvement in key areas such as:
Team organisation and preparation
Teamwork
Overall performance
The difference between week one and week two alone was incredible. By the end of the season, I’m confident we’ll see even more significant development.
This week, our program also crossed a major milestone: over 1,000 children coached—1,156 to be exact. Of those, 545 children are now engaged weekly through our Right to Play program (U8 & U10 grassroots), with a further 95 children in our Junior Kickers Program (U6) every week.
We’ve also been distributing recycled football boots and athletic shoes from our Kick It Forward campaign, an initiative started by our founders’ 12-year-old son—an inspiring effort in itself.
And this week marks the beginning of our Street Football Initiative, which focuses on delivering footballs to underprivileged communities to encourage daily, unstructured play. This kind of free play is a foundational piece of true player development.
Momentum is building—and it’s real.
Nepal Is Awesome...
One thing I’m genuinely grateful for about being based near Delhi is the chance to explore places I’ve always wanted to visit. Nepal has long been on that list. I managed a quick three-day break in Kathmandu with my son Eugene, and the city absolutely buzzes with life. I’ll definitely be going back—Nepal has well and truly captured my interest.
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