Indian AR greater than Indian rl.

[cos789]

India is in a similar position to China, in that it has huge potential and the AFL is starting to put some serious resources in this direction.Again I couldn't find any meaningful rl references for India. That's a little strange in that RU seemed to follow the fortunes of the British Empire. Very little Indian RU probably meant even less rl.



It’s footy, mate! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AGNIBESH DAS | New Delhi, November 1, 2011 17:43

The game arrived in India in 2008 when Aussie cricket captain Ricky Ponting promoted it during his stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders. Since then, a team from India has participated in two World Cups in Sydney. A governing body has also been set up with the team’s 21-year-old captain, Sudip Chakraborty, as the president.


When the game started in India three years back, its potential was obvious. So, when the first team was formed, several organisations like West Bengal Kabaddi Association (WBKA) and YMCA supported it. They provided the grounds and initial infrastructure. However, when� India team returned from its first campaign in the World Cup without a win, these bodies lost interest.

Says WBKA’s Pranab Bhattacharya: “I am from the world of football and was, therefore, very enthusiastic initially. However, once India returned from the World Cup, we realised the game would be difficult to promote here. Where would we get fields that are nearly twice the size of football grounds?”

Some Scepticism, says Bhattacharya, also stemmed from the fact that Indians would be at a distinct disadvantage in a sport that calls for great strength and stamina. “We cannot compete with the sturdy foreigners. You cannot play without 18 strong and fit boys on each team. So we chose to distance ourselves from the game,” he says.

The players, however, beg to differ and are going all out to promote the sport. AFL-India has not yet been ratified by the government. “We need a presence in five different states for that to happen. So far, we have boards in West Bengal and Kerala. Work has been done in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu and we hope to set up boards in there soon,” says Chakraborty.�

The Kerala board has already been ratified by the Kerala Olympic Association, thanks to the efforts of Rajiv Tharani, sports co-ordinator of the Olympic Association of Kerala. He says: “Kerala was the first state to register an Australian Football organisation in India in 2009. PA Hamsa is the president. We are planning to rope in people from neighbouring states, including footballers from Goa, and float a South Indian platform soon.”

Australian football has an instantly populist feel to it. Like football, cricket and hockey, the lay public can play it almost anywhere and with any equipment. However, unlike hockey or football, this game is still evolving globally and so there is far less competition.

“We have lost out in the other contact sports because there was already a very strong international structure in place. So we could not compete. This game, on the other hand, is in the nascent stages in most parts of the world. Thus, if we are able to form our strategy and make a place for ourselves now, it will be much easier for us to make a mark,” explains the India team captain.

“The physical disparities will always remain but it can be surmounted with other skills. For example, the Japanese team has players of average height. However, they beat others through superior speed. The Indian team is very strong when the ball is on the ground. We are weak in long passes but on the ground, we are better than most teams. This can be utilised to our advantage,” he feels.

Infrastructure has quickly evolved in India. For one, the balls that are used internationally are made mostly in Jalandhar. “Earlier, we would ship in the balls that were exported from Jalandhar to Australia. Now we get them directly from Jalandhar with the AFI logo printed on them.” says Tharani.
Moreover, India has no dearth of cricket grounds which could be used for footy. They are of the required size and shape. In fact, most cricket fields in Australia are used for this sport in the off season.�

Australia has of course been hugely enthusiastic about promoting the sport in India. The first Indian team that went Down Under was supported in a big way by AFL with funds, playing kit and jerseys, training facilities and official dinners.�

Brett Kirk, a legendary retired Australian player of the game and now the international ambassador for the sport, came to India to hold several clinics in Kolkata, Mumbai and Punjab. In fact, it is he who discovered the ball manufacturing units in Jalandhar.

That apart, a massive campaign is about to be launched at the school level by the Australian company AussiX, which runs a training programme in Canada, where they have initiated more than 70,000 school students in the game.�

An AussiX official says: “In India, we will focus on sports that interest the local community (not just Aussie Rules), and our model is to partner with sports service providers (NGOs).” AussiX’s first partner is the Abhinav Bindra Foundation.

“Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan School has 117 outlets throughout India. Ryan International School has a similar number. We have approached them. They will help us popularise the sport. Once that set-up comes through. AussiX will be running the programme in these schools,” reveals Chakraborty.


There are Indian supporters as well. Mega Cabs, Kolkata is providing a complete complementary cab service in the city for promoting Australian Football League – India. “MLA Sudip Bose helped us with the CA block ground for practice. We have also introduced the West Bengal sports minister Madan Mitra to the sport. Another big support is Railways minister Dinesh Trivedi,” Chakraborty says.
As the Aussies would say, it’s all happening out there!
http://thesundayindian.com/en/search/

[ParraEelsNRL]

That apart, a massive campaign is about to be launched at the school level by the Australian company AussiX, which runs a training programme in Canada, where they have initiated more than 70,000 school students in the game.�

[cos789]

That apart, a massive campaign is about to be launched at the school level by the Australian company AussiX, which runs a training programme in Canada, where they have initiated more than 70,000 school students in the game.�

WTF are you laughing at you imbecile. Don't you know about AussieX and it's success in Canada ?
Really, you continue to re-inforce the image of yourself as a complete moron IMO
and a total embarrassment to rl.

RD you really want parafeel on you side ?

[NSWAFL]

That'd be right. Another burial and Parra tries to change the country subject again!

[ParraEelsNRL]

[NSWAFL]

Stop laughing and try to prove Cos wrong about the OP. If you have the balls that is.

[cos789]

That'd be right. Another burial and Parra tries to change the country subject again!

As usual it backfired again.
The AussieX project has been a major windfall for AR in North America.
I didn't know that is in India as well.
That's a fantastic boost.

[NSWAFL]

Absolutely!

[ParraEelsNRL]

http://www.theasiantoday.com/article.as ... cleId=2716

Indian Rugby League gets Bollywood Boost!
Brit Asian Rugby star Ikram Butt helps bring Rugby to sport loving India

RUGBY League has finally established a solid foothold in India after almost of decade of hard work on the part of a number of organisations including the British Asian Rugby Association (BARA) and the Leeds Rugby Foundation (LRF).
The Bombay Gymkhana club, a sporting organisation used by many of the country's richest individuals including a number of prominent Bollywood actors, has committed to building a Rugby League presence in the country and will be developing the sport for juniors, men and women in partnership with Ikram Butt, head of BARA.
Ikram, a dual code international having played Rugby Union for Pakistan and Rugby League for England, said it had taken him over a decade to implement the plans.
“This formal agreement has taken me well over 10 years to develop and was initially driven by BARA but is now being pushed by BARA, the Leeds Rugby Foundation and Leeds Metropolitan University,” he said.
“There has been a lot of stop and start with Rugby League in India, however, we now have an established premier club with over 135 years of history that is financially very well off and more importantly involving genuine people who want to see Rugby League develop. A few of Bollywood’s star names are also keen to help us promote the game.

[NSWAFL]

How many clubs in the India RL competition, Parra?

[ParraEelsNRL]

Again, refer to the merkin who started the thread.

While you're at it, type in The Bombay Gymkhana club into google.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_Gymkhana

Bombay Gymkhana (Marathi: मुंबई जिमख़ाना),(Hindi: बम्बई जिमख़ाना), established in 1875, is one of the premiere gymkhanas (sports arena) in the city of Mumbai, India. It is located in the South Mumbai area and was originally built as a British-only club, designed by English architect, Claude Batley. [1]
The Gymkhana Grounds lie in the southern end of the Azad Maidan. The ground itself is on leased property. It has a triangular area, with the southern end facing the VSNL building. MG Road and H Somal Marg are the two roads on either end that begin from the southern end. It is boxed in by a shortcut lane which connects Churchgate to Victoria Terminus.


Inside the Bombay Gymkhana
A long building which serves as the lobby, table tennis area, badminton court, restaurant and lounge connects the two roads. The region between the building and the lane is a large ground. It is very difficult to get membership into this exclusive club.[2]
Cricket is played here in the winter months, and rugby and football (soccer) in the monsoon months. This used to be major centre for the erstwhile Bombay Pentangular cricket matches. The ground had the distinction of hosting India's first Test cricket match on 15 December 1933,[3] captained by CK Nayudu. Many of the matches of the long-running Bombay Quadrangular tournament were also held there. It hasn't hosted any international cricket matches since the Brabourne Stadium took its place in 1948. The last international event of some sort was in 1996 when the Australian cricket team used the grounds to practice prior to their clash with India in the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
The ground also hosts a national rugby competition, and has recently hosted matches against Sri Lanka and a few other South Asian teams. It has also hosted national and international squash tournaments.
It also has swimming facilities at the southern end.
Until a few years ago, only men could gain membership to the club. Women were able to join from the early 2000s.
The Bombay Gymkhana is one of the most exclusive clubs in the country: the waiting period for membership extends into years, and the fees are in the millions of rupees.

[cos789]

How many clubs in the India RL competition, Parra?

My turn, how many clubs in the Indian rl competition ?

You post stuff but it seems alll promo, you know, the coulda woulda shoulda gunna category.

[ParraEelsNRL]

I class this as spam Xman, sara seems only to be able to spam lately, I think she needs a warning.

[cos789]

Sara seems to be a very nice knowledgeble person.

[NSWAFL]

Again, refer to the merkin who started the thread.

No I'm referring it to you because he couldn't find any evidence and you came up with some evidence of it being played. So the next step is yours.

And no, this is not spamming.