‘Dump Santosh Trophy to realise World Cup dream’

National coach Bob Houghton has set 2018 as the realistic target for India to qualify for the football World Cup.

Setting 2018 as the realistic target for India to qualify for World Cup, national coach Bob Houghton has asked for devoting more time on development of age-group players, instead of continuing with ‘antiquated tournaments’ like Santosh Trophy, to realise the dream.

Houghton said the country could think of World Cup qualification only 10 years later and that too by choosing a professional approach and nurturing the age group players.

“The development of U-19, U-16 and U-14 teams is essential if we are to realistically make a challenge for the World Cup 2018. The qualification for 2018 World Cup will start in 2015 … seven years from now when U-19, U-16, U-14 teams will be the right age to play in that qualification,” the Englishman said.

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“This will also help our qualification for 2012 London Olympic Games. It is a long way to go to get India, currently ranked 26th in Asia, into the top four ranking positions (in Asia). This is the task if we are to qualify for the World Cup,” he told aiff.com ahead of Indian team’s departure for June 3 to 14 SAFF championship in Maldives and Sri Lanka.

He said India’s World Cup dreams could only be realized if it starts professionalising its domestic structure instead of clinging on to ‘traditional and outdated’ tournaments.

“The Santosh Trophy is an outdated and antiquated competition. If India is to make progress in the highly competitive world of international professional football, it needs to streamline its domestic football structure.

I-League players and of course international players should not play in a myriad of cups and trophies and state tournaments,” he said.

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“India must choose (one way or other). It either has a dominant I-League and a Federation Cup competition, which our players take part in, exclusively.”