Former footballer Keson Kripal urges

Hoshiarpur/Oct 8 /Daljeet Ajnoha—Kesho Kirpal Singh Baddon, a celebrated footballer from the Mahilpur area, has called on governments to stop “false propaganda” and take concrete, grassroots-level action to reverse the decline of Indian football.
Speaking after being specially honoured by members of the Football Players Welfare Society, Mahilpur, he said talented and needy young players must be identified early and given modern facilities and systematic support so they can be trained in line with current demands.
“Only intention and policy need to be clear”
Keson Kripal said that if governments are genuinely willing, “everything is possible and nothing is impossible,” but stressed that intentions and policies must be clear and there should be no gap between words and deeds.
He recalled that in an era of limited resources, legendary players such as Jarnail Singh Panam, Inder Singh, Gurdev Singh Gill and Sardar Gurkirpal Singh still emerged from the region, proving that talent can flourish even without lavish infrastructure.
“Now there is no shortage of facilities. Only the governments have to discharge their responsibility with complete honesty,” he added.
Wider context: Indian football’s grassroots crisis
Keson Kirpal’s remarks come amid growing concern over Indian football’s falling standards, with critics pointing to weak grassroots investment, chaotic domestic calendars and inadequate funding for coaching and development.
Reports note that government grants to the All India Football Federation have fallen sharply in recent years, while spending on grassroots and coaching courses has been cut even as the federation reports budget surpluses.
Sports analysts and former players have repeatedly flagged the lack of structured grassroots programmes, insufficient career opportunities and poor sponsorship as key reasons behind the national game’s decline.
Event attendees
The honouring ceremony was attended by Football Players Welfare Society members including Talwinder Singh Heer Nangal Khilarian, Sarpanch Kuldeep Singh Sidhu, Jasvinder Singh Banga and Manjit Kaur.