The Kuwait Indian Football
Federation (KIFF) Soccer season featuring 16 Indian expatriate teams that began
in early September 2013 finally came to a close on 30th May 2014
after nine grueling months of intense competition for the KIFF League
championship and various eleven and seven a side tournaments conducted under
the auspices of KIFF. AVC Sports &
Cultural Association was proudly crowned champions of the season as well as
KIFF league champions and thoroughly deserved all the accolades they got. Due to the extreme heat in Kuwait during the
next three months, the teams will take a break and be back for the new season
in early September 2014.
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The final match between AVC Sports & Cultural Association from Goa
and Malabar United from Kerala was played at the Al-Qadsyia Stadium and was a grand affair with KIFF sparing no effort
and expense to ensure the season finale was worthy of its name. Without a doubt, KIFF is easily one of the
biggest Indian organizations in Kuwait registered with the Embassy of India and
featuring sixteen affiliates with a constitution and bye laws that few
organizations can boast of. Founded in
1983, the Federation has been strongly promoting soccer in the community and among
the Indian youth in Kuwait.
What was disappointing however at
this year’s final was the uncaring attitude and low turnout of players and
management from the other 14 participating KIFF clubs.
If one considers that 16 affiliated
clubs participate in the KIFF tournaments and along with the players if one
counts the coaching staff, management and supporters, there should have been
over 500 members of the fraternity at the final. After all it was our very own GRAND FINAL wasn’t
it? Baring the many supporters of
Malabar United who came and supported their team enthusiastically and
supporters of AVC, it was really difficult to spot the rest of the affiliates.
Staying away from such a grand
event organized by your own Federation for whatever the reason maybe, I think
is not fair to the finalists and the people who worked so hard all year round
to successfully conduct the soccer activities.
In all honesty, if not for KIFF
and the efforts of a few, many of the over 360 registered players would have
not enjoyed the benefits of being known in the community, playing on grass grounds, being members of a team, getting jobs and even receiving cash and return air-tickets.
Although all were invited, at the
final I could count just two or three Presidents and a few players sprinkled
among the crowd. Where exactly did the
rest disappear? At the dinner too
organized the previous evening for Indian Soccer Icon Brandon Fernandes, at
least four clubs failed to show up for reasons best known to them.
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| Where are the rest? |
When I casually enquired with
KIFF President Fidelis Fernandes, the reason players and officials stay away
from events especially if their own teams are not involved, he tried to hide
his disappointment with a shrug of his shoulder, but at the same time unable to
hide the pain in his eyes. It will hurt him, especially because of the effort he and his managing committee have made to get the sponsor, organize the Al-Qadsyia stadium, invite the guests, arrange the
trophies, have the soccer icon Brandon Fernandes flown in from India, organize the school exhibition match and half
time dance performance, etc etc.
Hope the new season starting in September
2014 will be different and better sense prevails.
Julio Cardoso
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