Year in review: Indian football changed perceptions in 2017, but 2018 must see more tangible growth
On 5 December 2013, India were awarded the rights to host the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, its first ever global football event of any stature. In early-2016, the AIFF proposed that 2017 could also see the long-awaited merger of the Indian Super League (ISL) and the I-League — India's two premier football tournaments — leading to a bigger and longer domestic competition. The proposal was later reworked and a three-tier league system — also a first in Indian football's history — was put forward. So even before it began, 2017 was earmarked as the year in which Indian football would come of age. Fast forward to the dying hours of what was perceived to be the most significant year in Indian football's history till date, the nation can look back in admiration at some path-breaking developments, and rue certain missed opportunities. India's 'Cup of Good Hope' Jeakson Singh Thounaojam celebrates with his team-mates after scoring India's first World Cup goal. ...