After thronging foreign Universities, Indians are now seeking out sports academies from Spain to Australia in search of quality training.
And the teenage athletes are serious enough about careers in sport to spend over Rs 1 lakh for a 15-day camp that will reduce the chinks in their technique—and, of course, give them the irresistible ‘foreign’ tag.
This year, there has been a sudden spurt in this trend among Mumbai’s aspiring sportstars, with three groups flying abroad for training. Vijay Patel of sports apparel maker Omtex is gathering young cricketers aged 15 to 20 for a trip to the Tasmania Cricket Association headed by David Boon.
South Kickers Soccer Club’s Jeffery Campus has managed to land year-long training stints for four city soccer players at Elians School in Valencia, Spain. Each of them is paying Rs 9 lakh.
Anjali Shah of the Indian Youth Soccer Academy, known for taking scores of youngsters to Bobby Charlton’s academy every year, is planning another trip to Manchester.
Patel believes the Boon name is a big draw for the 13-day ‘Diwali’ camp. ‘‘Australia are world champions and they have a ready system, so why not make use of it?’’ he says. ‘‘You won’t find coaches of that calibre coaching at the junior level here.’’
Private entities have started planning coaching packages abroad too. Sunny Chouhan (18), a Mithibhai College player, concedes he isn’t good enough for India right now.
‘‘But I’m ready to pay the Rs 1.5 lakh to get a coach who will give me some real tips,’’ he says. ‘‘After all, a stint with Boon could change my life.’’
European soccer academies are also seeing more young Indians. ‘‘We have a severe lack of facilities here,’’ says Campus. ‘‘If football is to touch a different level, these boys have to step out.’’
The four students he’s sending to Spain are hoping to latch on to a two-year all-paid extension if they manage to impress the coaches there. Darren Caldeira (17), a promising midfielder who was earlier picked for the Mahindra Colts, admits it’s a big move but says he’ll risk the Rs 9 lakh since he’s ‘‘sure about playing the game professionally’’.
Another youngster taking the Europe-route is Delhi’s Karan Diwan (18), hoping to attend the selection trials for Scottish giants Rangers. Shah, who arranged for the camp, explains: ‘‘Our training methods are redundant and selection trials are biased. Also, fielding of overaged players is rampant, so talented kids miss out.’’
The success of these extravagant trips will only be known in some years’ time. Tracking these sportsmen’s future performances will answer the crucial question: Do sportsmen fail India at international events or has India failed them in providing the right environment at home?