By Prarthana Hazarika
Former India international Renedy Singh believes India must move beyond short-term tournament thinking and build a sporting culture backed by long-term planning and year-round competition for young footballers.
With India’s U-20 side qualifying for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup, Renedy says the focus should now be on supporting the team rather than dwelling on past mistakes.
“Instead of criticising what we have not done, what can we do now? What can we do to help this team after qualifying? Can we look forward? Can we think positive?” Renedy told Meghalaya Sports.
He believes academies, clubs and coaches across India are already working, but the system needs to create a stronger sporting culture from the grassroots.
“Everyone is doing sports. Sports will help to study, concentrate better also. It’s about creating that healthy culture, that sporting culture. It’s not only that everyone will become (a professional athlete). We need to create this first, and things will follow by itself,” he said.
Renedy, however, feels India is missing a crucial component — sustained competition.
“We don’t have a proper calendar where you have to play for the whole year. This is not easy, but if you want to compete, you need it,” he said.
He pointed to Japan, where youth leagues provide much greater exposure.
“If you go to Japan, they have an Under-19 league which goes for nine months. We don’t have an Under-19 league. Yes, we have Under-17, but how many matches do they play? Five, ten? It finishes in a month’s time. What about the other 11 months?”
The problem, he said, extends to the state level.
“Assam or Manipur, they have a league, but for how many days? One month.”
Renedy also cautioned against judging Indian youngsters purely by results against countries such as Japan.
“People will say, ‘Japan ke saath kitna haar gaya? Five goal haar gaya.’ But people are not ready to see what Japan is doing behind the scene, how many matches the boys are playing behind the scene.”
His views are rooted in his own experience. After retiring in 2015, Renedy started Renedy Football School in 2017, which later became Classic Football Academy. Eight players he has worked with since then are now part of India’s U-20 setup.
“I have eight players which I have worked with since 2017, when I opened Renedy Football School. At one point, it was even nine or ten of them,” he said.
“When you know what they want, where they come from, what’s their vision, what are their dreams — I do feel good when I see them in the national team,” he added.
Renedy’s own journey began at Tata Football Academy, which he joined at just 10½ years of age while studying in Class V.
“Tata has given me everything. Whatever I am today, a lot of things is because of Tata Football,” he said.
For Renedy, India’s sporting ambitions need a much longer horizon.
“It’s not just about a four-year or a five-year plan. It’s about long-term plans and policies, polishing the younger generation and creating a platform for them to play,” he said.
