Neglect of Youth Football a grave injustice!
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I was once again impressed with the feature in the ST of the 19 Nov which captures the miserable state into which Youth Football in this country has descended. While the reasons adduced to this plight should not be attributed directly to the current football administration, the real reasons lie with successive administrators who have not fully understood that the development of any sport begins from the grassroots.
The FFSL has had a Grassroots Programme for a long time but it lacks the long term vision and merely carries on to provide sustenance to a few coordinators and so called coaches who are more concerned in prolonging their subsistence than being a part of a holistic plan that would transform the value and quality of the sport.
The Sri Lanka Schools Football Association (SLFSA) too must be faulted for the pathetic way they run schools football, constantly badgered by errant FFSL officials who have failed to mould an effective partnership with their Junior Member. The FFSL has tried to take over rather than handhold the SLFSA; thereby constantly stuck in an antagonistic relationship. The SLSFA on their own lack the resources to conduct a quality program that involves schools officials, coaches, referees, playgrounds, players and equipment. A few Schools can muster these necessities but the vast number of rural schools simply cannot foot the bill and thus a haphazard program is conducted over prolonged periods without any value or purpose.
As proposed by KornerKick, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Sports (MOS) must sit together with FFSL and SLSFA and agree on a common program of development, competition and selection from which FFSL can kick-off academies to produce national level youth teams which will emerge as feeders for the National Pools. The FFSL Youth Programme Committee must take the lead in this matter and draw on the resources of all stakeholders. Sadly, FFSL appears to lack Marketing/Sponsorship support at present but the 12 – 20 level age groups is an ideal catchment for many companies in the F&B industry. If the organisational framework is put in place, many companies will no doubt take a second look at Football. Even if Football is called a poor man’s game, there is wealth of opportunity in the lower middle income groups that command a greater population than the elitist upper crusts! So any smart marketer will know that in pure business terms, incremental volumes can only grow exponentially from this large football populace!
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It is difficult to imagine though that the pundits at FFSL can figure this out and proposition ideal brand partners. They are busy riding camels and making pilgrimages to AFC hotspots. Nobody asks what happened to the Rs.25million daylight robbery that took place recently under the very noses of the FFSL bosses. That money could have gone to admirably support a junior football program and more! It is a crime that the MOS and the FFSL seem to be in a long siesta while the culprit/s seems to be enjoying the spoils.
Great Footballers of the Past like P D Sirisena and his protégé Sumith Walpola fortunately run football camps for young footballers in Price Park. Sira was fittingly honoured for his lifelong contribution to Football when FIFA and AFC Presidents visited Sri Lanka in the recent past. Thankfully, another Past National Captain Rohana Ruwantilleke is spearheading a youth camp in the hills of Gampola. The FFSL Captain must take a cue from these stalwarts and get his sleepy teammates at Football House going without any further delay!
M T Fernando Past FIFA Referee