Adrenaline pumping footie’s here!

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A slew of emotion-soaked, action-packed Hollywood flicks have given the Indian audience a taste of America’s own sport. Be it the Denzel Washington-starrer Remember The Titans or the 2009 release The Blind Side, the films have captured the intensity around American football and those involved in it — the players, coaches, owners, agents et al.

With the launch of Elite Football League of India (EFLI) midway last year, the sport is looking for a classic transformation from reel life to reality on Indian soil. With the prospective 12-team event set for a November debut this year, some of the teams have commenced rigorous practice sessions and the Bengaluru outfit isn’t lagging behind.

Trained by former rugby international Madanda P Thimmaiah, Bangalore Warhawks are leaving no stone unturned in their training schedule and fitness regimen. Currently, a gang of 40, the team is focused on off-season training and 24 members of the squad will train at Kolkata for two months from next week.

The rest, mostly students, will hit the camp mode, with training and practice matches, once they are through with their exams in the coming days, knowing fully well that a tougher test — both physically and mentally — awaits them on the field.

Though ELFI is primarily a domestic league, with the participation of a team each from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and possibly Pakistan, the competition level will be of international class in the inaugural edition.

Buoyed by the involvement of some renowned coaches from the US as well as inspirational visits by National Football League legends, Thimmaiah set out on a talent scouting programme across Karnataka.

“It’s a new concept and all the players are paid on a monthly basis like any other company. So, an initial group of 120 was picked which was pruned to 60 and now to 40. It is a tough game emotionally as well and the skills involved are quite versatile,” says Thimmaiah enthusiastically. The Warhawks comprise boys in the 18-25 age category hailing from Bengaluru, Shimoga, Kodagu and Mangalore.

“The game involves elements from athletics, football, wrestling, rugby etc. It is not that only physically huge players can make the cut. For example, the ‘special’ unit has a very different role to play compared with the ‘offence’ and ‘defence’ groups. The ‘special’ unit has kickers who are just good at kicking the ball while those employed in the ‘offence’ take care of handling and movement of the ball besides the heavily technical touchdowns. Probably, the toughest of all work comes under the ‘defence’ department, which is responsible for tackles,” points out Thimmaiah.

Each department is so different from the other that there is a separate leader (read captain) on the field. And the youngsters are picking up nuances of the sport. “Apart from the basic weight training and workouts, we rely on the video footage of our games and also NFL matches. Corrective measures are taken on the basis of the footage,” explains the Warhawks’ head coach. Even as India flirts with one more Western sport, the success depends a lot on television ratings and interest at the college level.