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Barefoot to Boots

Barefoot to Boots

The Many Lives of Indian Football

Novy Kapadia
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Few football-crazy fans today may be aware that India was once called the ‘Brazil of Asia’. Or that the competition between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan is ranked among the top-fifty club rivalries in the world. Brilliant players, world-class coaches and passionate fans-including political leaders and film celebrities-once combined to make India a football-worshipping nation. A major source of sports entertainment in India, football has thrived in several places apart from Kolkata. The game has also been inextricably linked to community identity, shrewdly used towards political ends, and contributed richly to our cultural heritage.
In Barefoot to Boots, renowned journalist Novy Kapadia reveals Indian football’s glorious legacy through riveting descriptions of on-field action, stories of memorable matches, lively anecdotes and exclusive conversations with legendary players and officials. Having witnessed the evolution of the sport for over fifty years, Novy charts its eventful journey up to the present to enthral old and new fans alike. The book will offer invaluable insight into the future of the game as the Indian Super League dramatically changes the face of domestic football and India hosts the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time.

Imprint: India Penguin

Published: Sep/2017

ISBN: 9780143426417

Length : 336 Pages

MRP : ₹399.00

Barefoot to Boots

The Many Lives of Indian Football

Novy Kapadia

Few football-crazy fans today may be aware that India was once called the ‘Brazil of Asia’. Or that the competition between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan is ranked among the top-fifty club rivalries in the world. Brilliant players, world-class coaches and passionate fans-including political leaders and film celebrities-once combined to make India a football-worshipping nation. A major source of sports entertainment in India, football has thrived in several places apart from Kolkata. The game has also been inextricably linked to community identity, shrewdly used towards political ends, and contributed richly to our cultural heritage.
In Barefoot to Boots, renowned journalist Novy Kapadia reveals Indian football’s glorious legacy through riveting descriptions of on-field action, stories of memorable matches, lively anecdotes and exclusive conversations with legendary players and officials. Having witnessed the evolution of the sport for over fifty years, Novy charts its eventful journey up to the present to enthral old and new fans alike. The book will offer invaluable insight into the future of the game as the Indian Super League dramatically changes the face of domestic football and India hosts the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time.

Buying Options
Paperback / Hardback

Novy Kapadia

Novy Kapadia is a renowned sports journalist and columnist, and teaches English literature at Delhi University. Recognized as India's foremost football expert and commentator on leading television channels, he is the author of The Football Fanatic's Essential Guide Book, and has contributed to Soccer in South Asia and Fields of Play. Novy has been consultant to the Limca Book of Records from 1990 onwards, and has edited the Durand Journal-India's most comprehensive football journal-since 1983. Since 1980, he has covered several international championships, including the World Cup and the Olympics, and all major domestic tournaments.
Novy won the Wills Award for Excellence in Sports Journalism in 1986. He lives in Delhi.

8 things you didn’t know about Indian football

Did you know India was called the “Brazil of Asia”? Novy Kapadia’s Barefoot to Boots delves into the glorious legacy of Indian football through riveting descriptions of on-field action, stories of memorable matches, lively anecdotes, and exclusive conversations with legendary players and officials. Here are a few facts you probably didn’t know about the Indian […]

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