Goa, June 20 -- Aman Varma

India's absence from yet another FIFA World Cup is no longer just a sporting statistic, it re flects a deeper gap in the country's footballing jour ney. While the world's lead ing nations compete on the grandest stage and several Asian teams continue their steady rise, India remain on the outside, passionately following a tournament it has never qualified for. For Goa Football Associ ation (GFA) President Cai tano Fernandes, the expla nation lies not in talent, but in priorities, planning and support. Speaking exclusively to O Heraldo from North Amer ica, where he is currently following the ongoing FIFA World Cup, Fernandes de livered a pointed critique of Indian football's devel opment model, arguing that the ...