The Hindu : Sport / Football : `Sleeping giant' can wake up to Turkish delight

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 28, 2004

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Sport - Football

`Sleeping giant' can wake up to Turkish delight

By Our Sports Reporter

KOLKATA, MAY 27. Asian Football Confederation's assessment of India as a "sleeping giant'' may have invited scepticism immediately but with a Englishmen espousing the idea, the sport is set to gain more European patronage. The latest in the field is Turkey, which is "very keen'' to have one of its reputed club teams visit the country.

This assurance was given to Bengal Initiative (BI), which recently toured that country on a goodwill mission. "Sports was the language that seemed to be conveying the best message during our meetings with the heads of politics, industry, art and architecture. It was through sports that they wanted to reciprocate the goodwill that we extended,'' said the chairman of Bengal Initiative, Amiya Gooptu, speaking to The Hindu.

Mr. Gooptu informed that a report of BI's visit has been submitted to the Union government and a separate letter sent to the new Sports Minister, Sunil Dutt, seeking approval for a Turkish team's tour of India.

"The Governor of Istanbul, Ergun Gungor, was very impressed to hear about football's popularity in India and promised to send one of the big clubs to the country,'' said Mr. Gooptu, adding that the "Turkish business houses too have reacted favourably to the idea of entering into a sponsorship deal with a city club.''

With English club Leicester City setting the trend by signing a deal with East Bengal, a Turkish sponsor does not appear a distant possibility, "considering that we have a very cordial relation with the country,'' Mr. Gooptu said.

The BI sports initiative was spearheaded by Olympian and former star forward, P.K. Banerjee, who "gave a very good impression about Indian football and also met the Galatasaray coach (Gheorghe) Hagi, the former Romanian star,'' the BI chairman said.

"Finance would not be a problem. We can generate enough funds to host a team like Galatasaray, Fenerbahce or Besiktas, but everything depends on the Government's consent,'' said Mr. Gooptu. If things go according to plan, Indian football fans could be in for some Turkish delight next year.

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