Encouraged by the renewed interest in football generated by the success of the ISL, India will consider bidding for either the 2019 or the 2021 editions of the under-20 World Cup, revealed the All India Football Federation general secretary Kushal Das.
India will host the under-17 World Cup in 2017, and the AIFF will seek to continue with its grassroots development schemes by giving the junior players another top-level youth tournament.
“We have the infrastructure in place for the under-17 World Cup, and there is a group of very talented footballers who we are getting ready for the tournament. Naturally, the next step will be to bid for the under-20 World Cup and sustain the momentum of development,” said Das, as the AIFF launched a fresh edition of the I-League, which will begin on January 9.
The junior boys, training under German coach Nicolai Adam in the AIFF academy, have the potential to be the future game changers, he said.
“They will be going on a series of exposure trips, starting with South Africa. And I expect them to play in leagues in Europe and Latin America in future,” Das said. He said he expected the Indian boys to earn qualification for the under-17 World Cup on merit when India hosts the AFC Asian qualifiers and not utilise the berth reserved for the host country.
“The ISL has had a very positive rub-off on football in general in the country. The I-League has definitely benefited from the success of this new initiative,” Das said.
“The I-league last year was one of the most competitive editions. This definitely was due to the positive influence of the ISL, and I think the I-League will be more successful this year.” Despite the pull-out of the teams like Pune FC and Bharat FC, which has made the country’s only FIFA recognised club football league a nine-team affair this season, Das said there was still a lot to look out for.
“Overall, the Indian picture is quite bright as the investment factor has trebled in the last couple of seasons since the introduction of the ISL. And with 17 club team in business, between the ISL and the I-League, we can always have a unified league in future,” Das said, adding that technicalities would need to be sorted out before the unification in the “neat future”.
Hero I-League 2015/16 launched in Kolkata
The I-League kicks off on 9 January and matches will be telecast on the Ten Sports network
Kolkata, 2016: The highly-awaited Hero I-League season 2015/16 was officially launched today in Kolkata in the presence of players from all nine competing clubs, along with Mr.Kushal Das, General Secretary, All India Football Federation (AIFF) and representatives from Hero Motocorp.
This season will have two debutants in the I-League – DSK Shivajians FC and Aizawl FC. With the addition of these two clubs, the battle for the ultimate glory in Indian Football will be fought between nine clubs. The Hero I-League 2015/16 kicks off on the back of some solid showing by the Indian players in the recently concluded SAFF Championship 2015-16 and the Hero Indian Super League 2015.
The first match of the Hero I-League 2015-16 season will see defending champions MohunBagan take on Aizawl FC in Kolkata on 9 January 2016.
Touting this Hero I-League season as the most competitive and promising Mr.Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF said,“We’ve witnessed an enthralling Hero I-League last season which kept us captivated till the final whistle on 31st May, 2015.
“Definitely, the teams will try to push their limits this season too and strive hard to win the silverware. Champions Mohun Bagan can’t show any signs of complacency as all eight teams will play out of their skins to dethrone them.”
Mr. PawalMunjal, Chairman, MD & CEO, Hero MotoCorp Ltd., said: “This will be the second year of our association with the I-League and after the exemplary show last season, we are all eagerly looking forward to the upcoming season which kicks off in three days. Over the years, we have continued to support various sporting events in the country and it gives us immense pleasure to be associated with both the Hero ISL as well as the Hero I-League.
“Football is fast emerging as one of the most popular sports among youngsters in the country and we are indeed happy to support the game. After the grand conclusion of the Hero ISL season 2, it is now time for Hero I-League to take centre stage.”
Over the next five months, fans will get to witness 72 high-octane matches across six cities in the country. Traditional rivals Mohan Bagan and East Bengal will lock horns on 23 January 2016 amidst the ever-so-passionate Kolkata fans. The return leg between these two Indian Football power houses will be played on 2 April 2016.
“Hero I-League 2014/15 is history now, everyone will be on equal footing on 9th January when the new season of the league kicks off”, Mohun Bagan skipper Shilton Paul pointed out. “We’ve got to be on our toes right from the start to win the league again, there’s absolutely no other choice,” the goalkeeper added.
The Hero I-League 2015/16 champions will receive a whopping prize amount of INR One crore compared to the previous season champions pocketing INR 70 lakhs. The teams finishing second and third will win INR 60 lakhs and INR 40 lakhs respectively. Additionally, winners of every game will win INR 50,000. If this was not enough, travel subsidy has been raised to INR 45 lakhs with the match day subsidy hiked to INR One lakh.
The Hero I-League 2015-16 will be telecast live across the Ten Sports network.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário