Why India is a minnow in world football?

There is, of course, the usual argument of how our obsession with cricket has reduced all other team sports, including the original national game of hockey, to the margins. Also, Indians aren't passionate about football except Kerala and Kolkata, the homes of Football.

Also, may be Football is more popular in these two states. But we have realised their importance very late. Especially for Kolkatans, football for the longest time was about narrow parochialism: East Bengal versus Mohun Bagan was the life and death contest. Instead of truly professionalising club football, Kolkata allowed it to lapse into a cesspool of mediocrity, much like the rest of Bengal. For the longest time, the Kolkata football league, played on poor grounds with limited infrastructure, appeared to satisfy the Bengali fans appetite for the sport. By the time the ineffectual football administrators woke up to the need to truly professionalise the league, it was simply too late. The rest of the world had left us far behind.

thanks Himanshu for referal.u r slightly correct in ur thinking that cricket is considered most rather than any other game in this country.but,fact is that no sport can kill other just by its nature! has anybody stopped our countrymen from encouraging sports other than cricket? i don't think Govt.is acting partial in this issue.all sports are equally treated in this country.i strongly feel it the determination and confidence levels that are downsizing us.one may ask "MONEY" will play an important role in encouragement,yes to certain extent it is true that no other sport has large money than that of cricket.but,that is not the end.if we have an optimistic approach,determination and enough confidence certainly our football team can participate in WORLD CUP in future.

Except cricket ( which only a few countries in the world play ) and few individual achivements here and there India is not a sporting nation. We do not take sport as a career since we do not have the kind of support for it. We lack the required infrastructure and kind of government spending to reach international standards.