India have underlined their dominance in South Asia as their Under-23 team won the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup against Maldives on penalties in the final at Bangladesh on Sunday.
The manner at which they won the tournament only served to demonstrate the rise of Indian football from the ashes after long periods in the doldrums since the Barefooted Wonders of the 1950s.
To win with their youth team only served to underline their strength in depth as befitting the second most populous nation in the world. That advantage, however, was only confined to the region itself.
Even then, the winning team would concede this was never going to be a stroll in the park. Up against the improving Maldives team, the young Indians were made to work hard all the way to win this title.
The talent in depth will leave their national team coach Bob Houghton with many things to ponder as he prepares the senior team to take on the cream of Asian football in the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar in just more than a year.
As good as the Indians are, South Asia is fundamentally the weakest region in Asia. Teams from West, East and Central Asia will provide sterner tests to their capabilities.
Some of the winning squad will be drafted in to complement the experience of Deepak Kumar Mondal and evergreen legend Baichung Bhutia.
How these boys will cope with the increased pressures and demands of international football at a higher level could not only determine the team's fate in Qatar, but also whether this sport is able to provide competition to cricket as their number one sport.
The hard work to fly the Indian flag in the Middle East come 2011 begins now.
For full match report on that final, here is the link: http://www.the-afc.com/en/member-association-news/central-a-south-asia-news/26341-india-regain-saff-crown.
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