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I-League lit the spark in Northeast football
I-League’s growth has been interrupted by constant upheavals -- a number of clubs have pulled out in recent years while quite a few new ones have come in
In 2009, Shillong Lajong earned promotion to the top tier of the Indian football league structure, I-League. It was the turning point for football in the Northeast.
For the first time in its history, the top echelons had a club from beyond the ‘chicken’s neck’. In the club’s first season, Lajong reached the final of the Federation Cup in Guwahati, and while they were relegated at the end of the season, their initial success and interest generated went a long way in changing the football demographics of the Northeast.
Spurred by Lajong’s success, local rivals Rangdajied United and Royal Wahingdoh would make it to the I-League in later seasons. Once a duopoly of clubs from Kolkata and Goa, I-League’s opening of doors to the Northeast was crucial not just for the league’s growth, but also for the development of football at the micro level.
The Shillong Premier League (SPL) and the Mizoram Premier League (MPL) came up at a time when clubs from the Northeast were beginning to play a prominent part in India’s league structure.
The state of football today in Shillong and Aizawl in particular is a far cry from a decade ago.
‘You can’t buy emotions’
Over the years, I-League’s growth has been interrupted by constant upheavals; a number of clubs have pulled out in recent years while quite a few new ones have come in. However, its inclusiveness has played an important role in taking top-flight football beyond Kolkata and Goa, making an impact on India’s football culture.
When Mohun Bagan won the league in 2015 after 13 years, thousands turned up in Kolkata to receive the team. Aizawl gave a similar treatment to its heroes earlier this year.
There are great emotions involved among fans of many of these I-League clubs, something that cannot be bought with money, said Mohun Bagan head coach Sanjoy Sen.
“When Mohun Bagan won the I-League in 2015, you can see the pictures (celebrations with fans), you can see the craze and the emotions. You can’t buy it,” he said.
Little gulf between teams
The I-League has witnessed tight contests for the title over the last three seasons.
Two of the last three seasons have seen the title being decided on the last day while relegation battles have gone down to the wire on all three seasons.
Six different teams have won the title in the last seven seasons, with only Bengaluru FC winning twice.
“Anyone can do well. Last year, we saw Aizawl coming up so beautifully. There’s an opportunity for everyone (in the I-League),” Armando Colaco, the league’s most successful head coach, told Hindustan Times on the eve of the new season.
