At present, the AIFF is looking to come up with a roadmap in regards to the merger decision. Exactly when that happens is still unclear but the idea does seem pretty lucrative and one which shall help Indian football grow exponentially...
Ever since the inception of the Indian Super League (ISL), Indian football has garnered a lot of attention. Club football has not been extremely popular in India. Despite the I-League going on for several years now, it was only after the success of ISL that some interest in local football began catching up.
Since its advent in 2007, I-league has not been able to establish itself properly and has seen four clubs - Chirag United Kerala, JCT, Mahindra United, and Pailan Arrows - part ways from it. It is, hence, not surprising that there are talks of a unified league among the players and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials.
Ace Indian striker Sunil Chhetri, too, wants to see an unified league comprised of both the ISL and I-League teams. “Who would not like to see a merger? One league with more teams, more months is what we all wish for. There are few technicalities and I am sure they are looking into it. Eventually we will see one league. A unified league,” said Chhetri to the press.
At present, the AIFF is looking to come up with a road map in regards to the merger decision. Exactly when that happens is still unclear but the idea does seem pretty lucrative and one which shall help Indian football grow exponentially.
The thing is, the existence of two leagues in a country’s football calendar is not approved by FIFA – the world football governing organization. According to them, the I-League is India’s premier competition. And since the I-League isn’t doing great, the AIFF has been forced to come up with the idea to unite the ISL and the I-League.
Merging both leagues, however, will require a lot of restructuring and funds. Hence, the process might be delayed a bit. But if a proper road map is taken then the dream can turn into a reality soon.
This story is from the March 2017 edition of Sports Plus.
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This story is from the March 2017 edition of Sports Plus.
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