AIFF wants NRI players

One may wonder if this is good news for Indian footballers, but the All-India Football Federation wants to encourage foreigners of Indian origin to take up citizenship and help build a strong national side.

The idea occurred to the AIFF mandarins after watching several teams like Japan, Tunisia, Germany and Australia, which have players of foreign origin representing these countries.

According to AIFF sources, secretary Alberto Colaco is making a list of footballers of Indian origin, now playing club or county football in different countries, who could be approached to consider representing India.

Colaco hopes to field "at least two" such players of Indian origin in the national side to feature in the next Asian Games.

Already, a list of seven such players is said to have been drawn up.

"The main argument to be presented to them would be that they get to represent their country of origin instead of just playing club football," sources said.

Also, a foreign footballer playing in Indian clubs could be considered if they take up Indian citizenship.

Brazilian Douglas D'Silva, while playing for East Bengal, repeatedly expressed his desire to take up Indian citizenship and play for India.

"If he does so, there shouldn't be any problem in him being considered for the national side," one source said.

When Stephen Constantine was India coach, he had tried out two footballers of Indian origin for national selection, but did not like them.

Obviously, Colaco told close associates that the fact that these players live and play abroad will not be taken as a guarantee of their footballing pedigree. All of them have to undergo selection trials.

But will the AIFF look at players like Michael Chopra, Vikash Dhoorasoo and Harpal Singh? That seems unlike because they are very recognisable names even in their adopted countries.