Born in Japan, Played for India: Arata Izumi on how India Can Reach the World Cup! | EP17

Disclaimer: This video is created strictly for educational and awareness purposes. The views, opinions, and experiences shared by the guest are personal and based on professional expertise. The PodTok Show does not intend to defame, harm, or disrespect any individual, brand, product, profession, community, or country mentioned in this episode. The objective of this content is to help viewers make informed and responsible decisions. He was born in Japan, worked as a car painter, then gave up his Japanese passport to play for India. In this episode of the PodTok Show, we sit down with Arata Izumi, a former India international and football coach, to talk about his full journey and about the future of Indian football. Arata Izumi was born in Shimonoseki, Japan, to an Indian father and a Japanese mother. He played for East Bengal, Mahindra United and Pune FC, and for Atletico de Kolkata, FC Pune City and Kerala Blasters in the ISL. He made his India debut in 2013 and now works as a football coach. In this episode we talk about: His childhood in Japan and how he started playing football Playing football while working as a car painter Why he came to India and how Pune FC changed his career Why he gave up his Japanese passport for an Indian one His India debut against Palestine in 2013 How the ISL changed Indian football His move into coaching, from youth football to the I-League What is going wrong in Indian football today, and how to fix it The problems children face in a football career, and how parents can help Politics in football Can India ever qualify for a World Cup? What can we learn from Japan? If you love football, share this episode with a friend who argues about Indian football every weekend. Follow Arata Izumi: Instagram:   / arataizumi   About The PodTok Show The PodTok Show is a platform for long-form, meaningful conversations with people who have built their credibility through experience—not virality. We focus on awareness, responsibility, and real-world knowledge across industries. To Know More Follow PodTok on Instagram   / thepodtokshow   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... To Know More Follow Abhijeet Pillay on   / abhijeet-pillay-96b11618b   👍 Like | 💬 Comment | 🔔 Subscribe #arataizumi #indianfootball #podtokshow #ISL #footballpodcast #worldcup #fifa #dream #footballteam