Indian link with football World Cup

The India team have never been to a World Cup, but in 1950 they came close. The first World Cup to be played since before the Second World War was due to be held in Brazil, and India were placed in a qualifying group with Burma, Indonesia, and the Philippines. When all three of these teams pulled out of the competition, India qualified for their first World Cup by default. However, FIFA had decided to introduce a number of new rules for this tournament. One of them, strange as it may sound, was an insistence that all the players would have to wear football boots. This was a major problem for the Indians, as Indian football was still played barefoot. Refusing to compromise their traditions, and also perhaps mindful of the expense and discomfort of a long sea journey, the India Football Federation pulled out. They have never come close to qualifying since.