Goa likely to host the 2020-21 Indian Super League next season
Goa has emerged as the favourites to host the 2020-21 Indian Super League, side-tracking Kerala, which was also a possible venue for staging the event next season. Apparently, Kerala doesn’t have enough stadiums to host all the matches next season with the league looking to avoid too much travel.
With the number of Covid-19 cases increasing at an alarming rate, the All India Football Federation along with the Indian Super League organisers have decided to host the upcoming season of the league in a single state and in front of empty stands. As per initial reports, Goa and Kerala were shortlisted as hosts, but now, the former is heavily backed as the final destination. Apparently, Kerala does not have enough stadiums, while the distance between Kochi and Kozhikode is also a spot of bother with the organisers trying to avoid travel as much as possible.
“Kochi has only one stadium and for Kozhikode, you have to travel with the teams. For Thiruvananthapuram also, you have to travel. We are trying to avoid travel as much as possible but have not taken a final decision. Kolkata is also one of the venues for the under-17 Women’s World Cup but there are other stadiums in Kolkata. We have to figure out what are the best possible options and a final decision would be made by the end of this month,” said AIFF general secretary Kushal Das, to Sportstar.
On the other hand, the pandemic situation has also worked against Kerala, with more than five lakh people from other countries to enter the state in the next couple of months. While Goa is also set to stage the National Games and also host the Indian junior teams for their national games, which makes them an automatic choice to host the ISL.
“The general impression is that Goa will get the ISL. It is preparing to host the National Games and the under-17 women’s World Cup camp will also be held there. So everything seems to be in control,” said Anilkumar. In Kerala’s case, some five lakh people from other countries are expected to come here in the next two months or so. So we don’t know what the (coronavirus) situation will be here then,” said P. Anilkumar, secretary of Kerala Football Association.
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