Is soccer a dying game in India?

Soccer popularly called Football in India is no more popular in India.Is it because TV channels don't get enough sponsors for football matches or Is it because there is no big money involved in football? Or is it because the AIFF has no big financial clout like the BCCI? I don't think all these are the real reasons.During World cup football there is great euphoria among TV viewers even though the telecasts are made at odd times in India.Most importantly India doesn't feature in any World cup football matches.Even then there were sufficient enthusiastic viewers all over the nation.One witnessed the same euphoria during the recent Euro 2008 Soccer games.Then What ails Indian Football?
Four decades ago football was played in almost all streets of India by bare footed kids.Therewas abundant talent to be groomed.Especially states like Bengal,Kerala,Punjab and Goa were cradles of football in India.If at all, some soccer is left in India,it is only in these states.More prominently in Bengal and Kerala.But even in these states it is a dying game.Cricket a predominantly urban game has taken strong roots in rural centres,thanks to the wide TVcoverage.The fame and money in cricket has also lured budding footballers to cricket.The TeamIndia Cricket skipper Dhoni himself is an example.Dhoni was a socer goalkeper in Ranchi,a small town in Jarkhand never known for cricket.The state federations and the AIFF should host as many tournaments as possible in all rural centres through out the breadth and width of the nation.Infra structure is not a problem at all.Tournaments can be held in school or college football grounds where ever stadia are not availbale.At school levels there should be specialised sports and games oriented professional curricula.Our schools still have the out dated Physical education curricula.The regional associations should get sponsors for kit,equipment,TV and media coverage.In this era of satellite TV, it won't be a difficult task.Public sector undertakings should promote the game by giving employment to talented players by sponsoring them.Public sector undertakings can conduct invitation tournaments or sponsor tournaments at league level.Even armed forces and police,who were hitherto promoting the game are not doing so.It is really a sorry state of affair.What is India's status in soccer at international arena? In 1956 Olympics,India came fourth.After that India has never figured in soccer Olympics.India has never figured in World cup Soccer.The only time India qualified for World cup was in 1950,that too by default.Since qualified teams like Burma,Indonesia and Philipines withdrew from the tournament.But then Indian footballers played bare footed and FIFA refused to acceed to the Indian request to play bare footed!!.What a tragedy! India could not qualify even for Asia cup since 1984 until recently.AFC challenge cup win over Tajikistan has now qualified India for the 2011 AFC cup to be held in Doha after a gap of 24 years.Thanks to the foreign coach, a former England player Bob Houghton.Currently India is ranked 151 in world and 24th among Asian teams.Will India qualify for the 2010 world cup?Let us hope for the best.