Let players cash in on new deal: Churchill Alemao

Churchill Brothers Football Club's chief patron, Churchill Alemao lashed out hard at the way cricket as a game has splurged and dominated Indian sport, even as there are no takers for the beautiful game -- football.

Churchill Alemao & EPL trophy

Speaking to MiD DAY on the sidelines of the English Premier League trophy tour at a city hotel yesterday Alemao, also Goa's PWD minister, said: "Cricket is big business and people are fighting to secure more and more profits. Unfortunately for football there are no takers. Even the government is not keen on refurbishing the sport."

Alemao, raised a valid question when he asked why Maharashtra, one of the country's most prosperous states, does not have an international football stadium.

"Maharashtra is a big state in India but even here there is no major football stadium. So, how do you expect world class footballers to be produced and subsequently perform in the global arena," said Alemao.

He added that the money generated from the recent 700 crore deal between the All India Football Federation and IMG-reliance must be utilitised to refurbish the sport in India and also to reward those talented and hardworking players who are playing their hearts out for the country despite the absence of good remuneration. "The AIFF mustallocate a good part of the money from this deal to the players, so that this acts as a morale-booster for them and is a good example to youngsters keen to take up the game," said Alemao.

Former India goalkeeper Bhaskar Maity believed that youth would only take to the game if there is money, and the time to show them that money is now. "Money is important to run the family. If a youngster takes up football as a profession, he should be able to feed his folks with whatever he earns from the sport. Else, parents would prefer their children becoming engineers, doctors, lawyers but never footballers."