Good, Bad And Ugly for Indian Football in 2012

World football's governing FIFA signing a pact with the All Indian Football Federation to develop and promote the sport in India, was also a positive development.

Aiming to raise the profile of the sport in the country, the AIFF also bid for hosting the Under-17 World Cup in 2017, which is also a part of FIFA's promotional programmes in the country.
However, it was Bayern Munich's arrival that remained the talk of the town for some time.

Amid much fanfare, the German club touched down at the capital to play against the national team in former India skipper Bhaichung Bhutia's farewell match at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in January.

Eight months later, in the same venue, the national team triumphed for the third time in a row in the Nehru Cup, as it defeated a much higher-ranked Cameroon in a thrilling final that went down to the tie-breaker.

Football enthusiasts were seen tiptoeing across the stadium to get tickets on both occasions, though the numbers were expectedly far greater for the Bayern match on January 10, reflecting the Indians' fascination for international stars.

Bayern had the big names in abundance -- Arjen Robben, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Mueller, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Franck Ribery to name a few. And those present at the floodlit JLN lapped up all gleefully.

It was a lifetime opportunity for football fans and young players to watch India and a full-strength Bayern Munich team on the same platform.

As Bhutia himself put it later, it was something that "doesn't happen often in Indian sports".

The hooplah around the exhibition match was appropriate as Bayern is undoubtedly the most successful club in Germany having won an unprecedented 21 Bundesliga titles.

Their stay created a never-seen-before buzz in the Capital and the entire nation watched with bated breadth some of the world's best footballers weaving their magic.

Just like with Argentine wunderkind Lionel Messi's three-day stay in Kolkata the year before, the aficionados of Indian football saw the Bayern event as a platform designed to give the sport's profile a boost in the sub-continent.

The high-profile event generated widespread excitement and managed to rake in the moolah from broadcasters and sponsors.

And what was even more appropriate was that the proceeds of the match went to the victims of the devastating earthquake that rocked Sikkim last September.

On the sidelines of its recently-held Annual General Meeting (AGM), the federation also effected a major reshuffle, which saw induction of three new vice-presidents as well as members from the five zones.

Also Read: Notable Sporting Moments of 2012