India’s football needs meritocracy, not astrology

In the realm of professional sports, the path to victory is typically paved with talent, hard work, and strategy.

However, recent news reports surrounding India’s national football team have cast a shadow over this conventional wisdom.

The shocking revelation that Indian football team coach Igor Stimac consulted an astrologer, Bhupesh Sharma, during team selection and shared injury updates and substitution scenarios with him has sent shockwaves through the sporting world.

In a country where football has long languished in the shadows of cricket, these revelations raise troubling questions about the integrity of the sport and the professionalism of its administrators.

The use of astrology to determine team composition and match strategies is nothing short of bizarre in the world of competitive sports. While some may argue that personal eccentricities can sometimes creep into decision-making, the fact that Stimac continued to rely on the astrologer’s advice raises more significant concerns.

This isn’t just a matter of an individual coach making an odd choice; it points to an institutional malaise. According to a media report, the introduction of the astrologer to Stimac by All India Football Federation official Kushal Das underscores the seriousness of the issue.

It suggests that this was not a mere whim but a systematic approach that had the federation’s tacit approval. The financial aspect of this debacle is equally troubling.

The report revealed that the federation paid between Rs 12–15 lakh to the astrologer for two months of ‘service’. Such a significant expenditure on astrology in the realm of professional sports is perplexing, to say the least. It makes the football federation appear gullible and unprofessional.

Moreover, it risks compromising the integrity of the national squad at a time when match-fixing and corruption scandals are rampant in the world of sports. The use of astrological advice in determining match outcomes is not only unscientific but also undermines the very essence of fair competition.

Unfortunately, the Indian sports administration seems to be plagued by a lack of adequate checks and balances. The football federation’s reliance on astrology is just one example of the mismanagement and controversy that has plagued various sporting bodies in the country.

Wrestling, for instance, has recently faced allegations of sexual harassment, further eroding trust in sports institutions. It is a sad reality that Indian sporting federations have long been accused of playing with athletes’ careers through selection biases and other unprofessional practices. In competitive sports, success hinges on the finest margins.

The difference between victory and defeat can be a fraction of a second or the width of a goalpost. It is a travesty that India’s football administrators were preoccupied with astrology when they should have been focusing on nurturing talent, improving infrastructure, and fostering a culture of professionalism.

The nation’s athletes deserve better, as do the millions of football enthusiasts who dream of seeing India on the global football stage. The revelation of astrology’s influence on India’s national football team should serve as a wake-up call for the entire sporting ecosystem in the country.

It is imperative that sports federations prioritise transparency, accountability, and professionalism in their operations. Only then can India hope to break free from the shadows of its sporting controversies and make a meaningful mark on the global stage.

The reliance on astrology in Indian football is an embarrassing and regressive stain on the nation’s sporting aspirations. It reflects a dire need for transparent and professional governance in sports.

India must prioritise meritocracy and leave superstitions behind to truly shine on the global sports stage. Football, like all sports, should be about skill, dedication, and fair play, not about the alignment of stars in the sky.