Football is India's second most popular sport. Traditionally it has enjoyed popularity in the regions such as West Bengal, Goa, Kerala, Odisha, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. The origin of football in India can be traced back to mid-nineteenth century when the game was introduced by British soldiers; clubs were soon set up around the country. Calcutta FC was the first club to be established in 1872, started football as late as 1894. Other early clubs include Dalhousie Club, Traders Club and Naval Volunteers Club. Several other football clubs like Sovabazar, Mohun Bagan and Aryan Club were established in Calcutta around the 1890s. Calcutta, then capital of British India, soon became the hub of Indian football. Tournaments like Gladstone Cup, Trades Cup and Cooch Behar Cup was also started around this time. The Durand Cup and IFA Shield were both started in late nineteenth century. The India national footbal...