Footy moves into India

Footy moves into India
29 August 2003
Herald Sun

COULD AFL stars Michael Voss and James Hird one day be as recognised in India as their cricketing compatriots Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee?

Give them curry: Brian Clarke says "there's over one billion people there (India), so we thought we had to give it a crack".

That's the hope of the International Australian Football Council, a network established eight years ago to promote our indigenous game around the world.

The council, which has football links with more than 50 countries, will hold an Australian rules clinic in India this weekend aimed at promoting the game and the AFL.

About 50 budding footballers will attend the two-day camp at New Delhi's Harinagar Sports Complex, with another clinic to be held in Chandigarh next Wednesday.

It's hoped the clinic will kick off some interest in Aussie rules in sports-mad India.

But Brian Clarke, the president of the IAFC and the man who will be doing the coaching, recognises how tough it will be in a nation of cricket-lovers.

Clarke, who umpires in Melbourne's Southern Football League, decided to visit India after he receiving a stream of e-mails about the game.

"There's over one billion people there, so we thought we had to give it a crack," he said before flying out of Melbourne.

"We'd be foolish not to, as the potential is enormous.

"Our game is as Australian as a kangaroo or a jar of Vegemite and we thought that this visit would be a unique vehicle to promote Australia and our indigenous game.

"It's the greatest game in the world and that is our point, we want to take our game overseas and make that claim a reality."

Clarke hoped he could generate sufficient interest that India could send a team to the next AFL International Cup, to be played in Melbourne in 2005.

Eleven countries took part in last year's competition, won by Ireland.

"India is where a lot of our footballs are made and put together and we've often thought that they must kick them around a little bit," Clarke said.

"There's no reason why they can't be good at footy."

Clarke also hopes to launch India's first Australian Rules team during his 10-day stay and admits he has his own bias there.

"I'm hoping they'll be the New Delhi Hawks," he said.