The highest attendance for a sporting event in India? Must be cricket, surely? No, because when Mohun Bagan and East Bengal faced each other in a Federations Cup semi-final, there were up to 140,000 present in the stadium.
The British Asian community’s reputation as a production line for professional footballers is roughly as well established as England’s reputation for producing elite footballers who fare well when plying their trade beyond these shores. In other words, there’s not a great tradition of either.
A new coach has got India winning, and perhaps just as significantly for their long suffering supporters, winning in style.
Keen to emulate the success of the cricket's IPL, India's nascent Premier League could one day join the likes of China and Brazil in challenging European football hegemony.