AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY
'Sports is our Business'
  • Home
  • NEWS
  • Radio
  • TV

Gulati: India 2017 a special event for me

7/31/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
​© Getty Images
  • India 2017 hosts face USA in their opening game
  • Sunil Gulati, FIFA Council member, was born in India but raised in USA
  • Colombia and Ghana complete strong Group A
Laughs, big smiles and a handshake. The exact moment at the Official Draw that 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup hosts India were pulled out of the pot to play USA in the Opening Match saw Sunil Gulati, wearing his hat as head of the US Soccer Federation, turn to his Indian counterpart Praful Patel and grab his hand in a warm handshake. It was one of the more light-hearted moments of the ceremony in Mumbai earlier this month. 

Gulati is also a member of the FIFA Council, and Chairman of the Organising Committee for the U-17 World Cup. His heart was somewhat split during the draw, given that he was born in India – with most of his family based on the subcontinent – and moved to the USA aged five. The hosts’ opening match should prove a fascinating spectacle to the neutral, and a big test for both sides. The game raises the curtain on a tournament that promises much after an intriguing draw in Mumbai.

“Every World Cup draw is exciting, but the fact that USA are drawn into the same group as India is especially meaningful for me,” Gulati told FIFA.com in an exclusive interview. “The overall tournament will be an inspiring event for the sport in India, and the chance for the US to help open the tournament on the first day is a special opportunity. Of course, with Ghana, perennial power at U-17 level and Colombia in the group, it won't be only about the US and India.”

The age at which Gulati left India means he has “memories of memories” of the nascent years in the country of his birth. Due to his connection to both nations, he is uniquely placed to comment on the challenges now facing his mother country, in comparison to those once faced by his adopted homeland.

“I think India’s made a lot of strides in football,” Gulati said. “It’s a big challenge there because it’s such a large country, it’s not traditionally been the number one sport and it’s also got a very diverse population. In those senses, it’s a bit like the USA. We’ve talked about this with the AIFF (All India Football Federation) leadership on some of the similarities with the challenge that we’ve had in the U.S. and that they’ve got here."

The economics lecturer believes the youth tournament is an important step on the road for the subcontinent.

“The U-17 World Cup is an important event, because it’s a showcase event. You’ve got so many young players that become stars from this tournament and I think there will be fond memories for those players and the people watching them.

“It’s a great opportunity to see young players who aren’t constrained,” Gulati continued. “Maybe some of the discipline and pressure you see in senior team football is lost there, and I think that’s a good thing at this age. You don’t know who those stars will be, whereas in a World Cup you expect Messi or Ronaldo to step up. So many top players come through this tournament and I think it’ll happen again.”

One prescient recent example is the USA’s own Christian Pulisic. He featured at Chile 2015 before establishing himself as a key player in the senior national team, and at German giants Borussia Dortmund.

“Christian’s obviously done very well for us,” Gulati said. “He was clearly a very good player, but I don’t think many would have predicted how quickly he became an important player for our national team and at Dortmund, who have a lot of very good players. He’s a great talent.

“We had Landon Donovan at New Zealand 1999, he was the Golden Ball winner there. DaMarcus Beasley got the Silver Ball in that tournament and he’s played four senior World Cups. Those are important names in our history and hopefully Christian becomes a very important name in our future.”

One thing is for certain, the next US generation will have an keenly interested observer for their opening India 2017 game against the hosts.

“I think I’ll skip my classes at Columbia [University] and come for that opening game!” Gulati laughed. Whether he receives a permission slip and attends or not, the New Delhi clash will see the wider Gulati family join their compatriots in following what should prove to be a fascinating opening matchday and tournament. 
​
By: Editor
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Menu

    All
    2014 FIFA World Cup
    Athletics
    Basketball
    Boxing
    Commonwealth Games
    Cricket
    Golf
    Hockey
    Marathons
    News
    Olympics
    Rugby
    Soccer
    Spotlight
    Tennis
    Track And Field
    Volleyball
    Women Soccer
    Wrestling


    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Tweets by ASMONTHLY

Tweet to @ASMONTHLY

Contact Us

    Contact Us

Submit

Donate & Support Our Efforts at African Sports Media Network