When the Indian folks are asked about what really happened in the 1950 World Cup, some of them answer with a shadow of doubt in their minds while the remaining get edgy. So, let us cut to the chase and throw some light on what actually happened in 1950, why did India pass the opportunity of playing in a World Cup?
In the early days of World Cup football, there was no such thing as qualifying. Brazil was hosting the World Cup and had a guaranteed spot. Italy, the holders at the time, were given an automatic spot as well. There were a total of 16 spots out of which 14 were remaining. FIFA decided that in those 14 spots, 7 would be granted to countries from Europe, 6 would be granted to Americas and the remaining spot to an Asian country.
There were 4 teams in contention for the last spot- Philippines, Indonesia, Burma and India. India’s football prowess was relatively unknown until the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where they lost in the 1st round to France but impressed the people watching, hence, they were granted a chance to play in the 1950 World Cup.
1911 Mohun Bagan team
3 of the 4 Asian countries rejected the chance to play in the World Cup citing the expenses involved in travelling as the main reason. This presented India with a clear chance- to play in their 1st ever World Cup. Sadly though, the invite was rebuffed by India. Why you ask? The AIFF stated: “disagreements over team selection, and insufficient practice time.”
Then began the conspiracy theories. In the 1948 Summer Olympics, the whole Indian team played barefoot and impressed, which made the general public believe that India did not participate as FIFA imposed strict rules on footwear to avoid injuries. Other theories include the substantial cost of travelling, but, the organizing committee did reveal that a major part of the travelling and accommodation expenses was going to be covered.
This leaves us with a couple of answers- Firstly, was the AIFF right about the conditioning of the players? Secondly, did AIFF underestimate the value of participation in a World Cup?
Think of it now, had we played in the World Cup and impressed, a vast group of our players would have made the move abroad. As we stand now, the breakthrough that Indian football needs is yet to arrive!
