By Andrew Warshaw
July 17 – Leading football clubs in India have hit out against moves to stage a rival tournament to the national league inspired by cricket’s cash-rich IPL that attracts top international names.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner, IMG-Reliance, have announced plans to hold an eight-city event in January-March next year featuring as yet unnamed international and local players.
India is one of football’s great untapped markets but is ranked 146th in the world. Although over 20,000 schools play football, the domestic game has struggled to capture the attention of the public and has long been overshadowed by the country’s obsession with cricket.
With such a strong need to develop football, the clubs have refused to release players for the new franchise-based tournament, saying it will threaten their existence and ruin the national I-League domestic competition.
“We don’t think the new league will be beneficial to Indian football,” said Raj Gomes, who heads the I-League Professional Football Clubs Association. “How can we allow players to play for another club in the middle of the season?”
Valanka Alemao, CEO of Goa-based club Churchill Brothers, also strongly opposed the proposed IPL-style competition. “I do not understand why the AIFF wants to hold a new league,” Alemao said. “This new entity will eventually supersede the I-League and cause the slow death of existing clubs.
“The common goal should be to improve Indian football. How does it help if you get some retired or semi-retired players to grab a few eyeballs for a minute? It will benefit everyone if the AIFF tries to improve the I-League, instead of starting another tournament.”
But AIFF general secretary Kushal Das said the clubs’ fears were unfounded. “We are all for the betterment of football. If there was no hope for Indian football they would not be here,” he said.
“The I-League has been on for more than 10 years and it has still not caught the attention of viewers and sponsors. The new league has the potential to raise the commercial value of Indian football.”
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