2017 WILL BE THE YEAR OF INDIAN FOOTBALL
The AIFF General Secretary reflected on what he called a 'good year' for Indian football...
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Das said that the introduction of Minerva FC and Chennai City FC, alongwith Aizawl FC and Churchill Brothers' participation in the league, will be a boost for the competition that is coming on the back of a good season.
“With ten teams now, we are really excited for the new season of the I-League. We are happy to bring football back to Punjab, and there’s a new team in Chennai. Last year, we had an intense and close competition, and the viewership and attendance went up. We hope that continues this season as well," he said.
He also reflected back on the year gone by and highlighted some of the best achievements of Indian football and some key efforts of the AIFF.
“2016 has been a good year for Indian football. The Indian National Team’s ranking reached a high, Bengaluru FC became the first Indian team to qualify for the AFC Cup final, India were awarded the Developing Member Association of the Year award by the AFC, the grassroots programme has spread to thirteen states and this year it will spread to eighteen.
“Also pleasing is the increase in the number of teams in the leagues. The U16 league, which had 38 teams last year, has gone up to 55 teams. The U18 league, which had 28 teams last year, has gone up to 36 teams. That is a significant increase and the duration of the leagues has also increased dramatically.
“Even as far as the coach education programme is concerned, we’re doing very well. We have increased the number of licensed coaches significantly. I understand that we have nearly 4,000 licensed coaches, including 112 A-License coaches. That is a significant increase that happened in the last 3-4 years thanks to our revamping of the programme.
“I’m glad to announce that next year, we will introduce the U13 league. It will set up a nice pathway for players as we have a grassroots programme, then the U13 league, the U16 league – which will be U15 from next year, the U18 league and the senior league.
“We are doing our best to strengthen the base of the football pyramid in India. We realize that a lot of work is to be done at the top of the pyramid as well and we will work for it. But we can certainly say that Indian football is on the upsurge," he said.
When asked to weigh-in on the debate over which among the I-League or the Indian Super League (ISL) is the premier league in India, Das crowned the former. He also laid bare his thoughts on the impending merger of the two leagues.
“As of now, I-League is the tournament where the champions go on to play in the AFC Cup and the AFC Champions League. So currently, I-League is the premier league.
“We have proposed a roadmap for Indian football, when it come into action, we don’t know yet. We will only do it after consulting all the stakeholders and it will be for the benefit of Indian football," he commented.
Das also revealed his feeling that the coming year could be a key catalyst for the growth of the sport in India.
“2017 looks very promising with the U17 World Cup coming up as well. It could perhaps be the game-changer for Indian football," he signed-off.
Also speaking at the same event, Sunando Dhar expressed his delight that the league will have ten teams vying for the prize from ten different venues.
“There’s a lot to look forward to in the 10th edition of the I-League. This time the league is spread across nine cities, and with Mohun Bagan playing at a different venue, this is the first time I-League will have ten teams from ten venues – that’s a great change. It will be a test for the players to travel the length and breadth of the country and play week in, week out.
“Over the last two years or so, we have seen about twenty players being called up to the national team on the merit of their I-League performances. Stephen (Constantine) has given them that platform. I hope when the pathway from the U13 to the senior team is completed, we will have more young players coming through the system and going on to represent the national team," he concluded.
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