Conferences would weaken I-league, feels Bhowmick

I-League winning coach Subhas Bhowmick feels breaking up India’s top tier championship into two regional conferences would weaken the competition.

I-League winning coach Subhas Bhowmick feels breaking up India’s top tier championship into two regional conferences would weaken the competition.

Speaking at a media interaction organised by the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club (CSJC) here on Tuesday, Bhowmick, the only coach to have led two different clubs to the national title, said the pressure would be far less in the format the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is mulling.

“This would mean that a team won’t have to play a big match in Kolkata and then travel an entire day to reach Pune only to play another match within 24 hours. Where then is that pressure that a champion team is expected to survive and overcome,” asked Bhowmick.

He however is all for changing the format of the Federation Cup to a home and away one, saying it will enhance the value of the competition. “This way a club won’t be able to ride a lucky streak of winning four or five matches to lift the Federation Cup,” said the 64-year-old coach who led Churchill Brothers to their second I-League title this year. Bhowmick had previously led East Bengal to back-to-back national league titles in 2003 and 2004.