Leicester City are currently top of the English Premier League. Catalan giants Barcelona thrashed rivals Valencia 7-0 on Thursday. But if you were to ask Indian football fans about the state of affairs in India’s own league, the majority would probably draw a blank.
But it would be unfair to blame them. Any keen watcher of India’s sporting landscape would find it difficult to spot any trace of the Hero I-League, India’s very own football league. It exists in a vacuum of its own and only the most ardent sports fan is aware of its existence. And even those few die-hards find it hard to keep track of its affairs, at a time when other Indian sporting leagues make concerted efforts to drum up curiosity and attract eyeballs.
The poor cousin
It is difficult to avoid comparisons between the cash-rich Indian Super League and the I-League. Apart from the furious marketing campaigns launched before the start of a season, the ISL makes sure that it cannot be ignored by ensuring that all its matches are telecast on different channels, accompanied by commentary in regional languages. And for those who do not have access to television, matches in the ISL are readily available for fans to access on their digital devices.
Contrast that with the 2016 edition of the I-League. Only 45 out of a total of 72 matches this season will be telecast. There has been no telecast of the home games of Aizawl FC, the newest entrants to the I-League this season who have impressed many with their exciting style of football. And much unlike the ISL, fans who want to keep up with their favourite clubs are forced to rely on videos made by supporter groups – there are no official match videos available anywhere on the Internet.
The complete lack of visibility of Indian football became painfully apparent when Mohun Bagan defeated Singaporean club Tampines Rovers on January 27 in the first round of the AFC Champions League, Asian club football’s most prestigious competition. This was the first time an Indian club had ever won a match in the competition, but few could watch this historic achievement live. No major sports channel telecast the event, except a Bengali news channel, that too with Bengali commentary.
On its last legs
Other than the shoddy production coverage of the few matches that are broadcast, a visit to the stadiums to watch an I-League match revealed the step-motherly attitude the All India Football Federation has adopted towards this tournament. Matches in the ISL are a glamorous affair, with stadiums decked up in their team’s colours and massive cut-outs of the top players on display. In contrast, for an I-League match, the same stadiums remain pitifully bare, with no indication that a football match is going on within its premises.
With a lack of visibility and context, the I-League is doomed. Clubs have already started to back out and it will only get worse. Up against the massively cash-ruch ISL, it has no chance and is probably on its last legs. Matches take place every weekend, goals are scored, a few teams move up and down the table but no one, except the hardcore fan, notices. For all intents and purposes, it is India’s “invisible” League.
For the record, Bengaluru FC are on top of the table currently with a one-point lead over second placed East Bengal. Aizawl FC are currently in seventh position with only one win, but have shown plenty of tenacity in their debut season in the top flight. Sadly for these plucky footballers from the highlands of Aizawl, not many will be at hand to track their heart-warming tale.
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