New Delhi: The Holy Grail-seekers lost their mind, ending up damaging their object of worship. For Mohan Bagan supporters, the Fed Cup trophy was the biggest prize in two years, but does this image sum up the state of Indian Football?
Maybe not. Football frenzy gathered momentum like never before, and on both occasions, the mecca of Indian football put up its best face forward. Oliver Kahn in his farewell game was taken in by the multitudes who braved everything to get a glimpse of the famed keeper.
And the City exploded in delight as in stepped the greatest modern footballer - Diego Armando Maradona.
The game's ego too got a massive boost as a choc-a-bloc Ambedkar stadium in Delhi waltzed to the national anthem after India routed Tajikistan to win the AFC Challenge Cup, and secure a berth in the Asian Cup after two decades.
"Qualifying for the Asian Cup is in itself a movement in the right direction. To say that everything has been achieved is not right though. We have to keep on endeavouring to do better," said Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel.
And even as national coach Bob Houghton went into overdrive trying to secure national players from random club games, no one was complaining as it is perhaps the single-biggest impact on Indian football, Houghton is now planning more international exposure for his team.
The domestic scene too looks slightly better despite the continued presence of archaic tournaments like the Durand or IFA Shield.
Football Coach Karim Bencherifa says, "I do feel that the calendar should be more organised, so we can give clubs their time and the national teams their time as well."
A show-stopper is going great guns still. Fifteen summers old Baichung Bhutia retains his ability to be the single-biggest draw for Indian fans.
Football player Baichung Bhutia says, "In India, we are still a developing football country so it becomes difficult to play so many matches at the same time and we also have to balance clubs in the country."
It's now up to the fractious governing body to take the cue and take football in India forward.
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