Who is the product of ISL this year? asks Sporting Club president
Sporting Club de Goa chairman Peter Vaz has questioned the end product of the Indian Super League (ISL). The Goan has insisted that unlike the I-League, the ISL is not producing any new Indian talent.
The Goan has revealed that he suggested the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to stop I-League and extend ISL's duration to one year by incorporating the I-League clubs into the fold, but the governing body refused to bite the carrot.
"I was bold enough to mention in an AIFF meeting to stop the I-League. ISL is getting fantastic response, continue with 16-to-18 teams and let it be played throughout the year. They (committee) said 'No, I-League is the most important league'
"The idea (suggestion) was to give them a challenge but they didn't bite the carrot. Basically, I wanted to know their idea and if they want football to grow. They don't want football to grow. They had a chit to tell us that 'the I-League is the most important competition because it is recognized and this (ISL) is just a tournament'. This crazy thing that they are doing has to end one day," Peter Vaz was quoted as saying by Goal.com.
The Flaming Oranje's owner insisted that it is AIFF's responsibility to make sure that the crowd which is flocking to the stadiums for the ISL, continues to come for the I-League as well. He said, "ISL has got no sanction. AFC (Asian Football Federation) does not allow eight foreigners, it is three foreigners and one Asian. This (ISL) was given a temporary license just to revive football in India and get the spectators back. The spectators are coming back, maybe because of the film stars and cricketers, but it is making sense. People have come back to the stadium but you have to ensure that they return back for the I-League”.
Vaz believes that instead of starting the season with the ISL, AIFF should have opened the season with the I-League.
"The amount of investment done in promoting [the ISL] was a tremendous effort. Right from June onward, TV channels, the auctions of players - it is well organized. The amount that is being spent on advertisements is getting the crowds in. There is nothing taking place in the I-League. We have asked the Federation (AIFF) to continue in the same way.
"Initially, if you realize, ISL tried to have the tournament in March but nothing happened. So they took the first window. If they had started with the I-League and then followed up with the ISL, it would have been different. That is left up to the federation. What they are doing is having the ISL first and then the I-League. So after the ISL is over, people think that football is over," he added.
Sporting's chairman has also questioned the end product of the ISL, insisting that all the Indian talents are being produced in the I-League. He believes that India's premier league needs at least 18-20 teams, and a minimum of 1000-2000 professional footballers.
"Nobody is talking against the ISL. Everybody is enjoying it but there is something amidst that you all will agree. What is the product of ISL? Every year there are products of the I-League. In the previous season of the ISL, players like Syed , Mehtab and all were amongst the 10 star players. Last year, you had Jacki (Jackichand Singh), Seityasen , Haokip and so many other youngsters. They are all products of the I-League.
"Let us ask a question - who is the (Indian) product of ISL this year? Now ISL players are without a club. They are in demand for the ISL, but why not for the I-League? They are ready to play for free also (in the ISL), at a very low budget. Why? Because they cannot play with youngsters [in the I-League]. There (ISL) you can hide behind the foreigners.
"There have to 18-to-20 teams in the first division league, 18-to-20 teams in the second league and there have to be zonal competitions. We must have at least 100 professional clubs, we must have a minimum of 1000-to-2000 professional players and at least 50-to-80 academies if we have to progress. Smaller countries with just one million populations are having all this. With a population of one billion, can you imagine that we don't have a thousand professional players? We just got around 200-to-300 professional players," he said.(Read: An open letter to Nita Ambani from an Indian football fan)
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