The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has devised a special strategy on the future of Indian football at a meeting held between various stakeholders
Kushal Das
Kushal Das
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has devised a special strategy on the future of Indian football at a meeting held between various stakeholders, Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League representatives along with officials of Football Players Association of India (FPAI) at Kuala Lampur, Malaysia yesterday.
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Representing the All India Football Federation (AIFF) was its secretary Kushal Das and I-League CEO Sunando Dhar. The decision to merge both leagues - ISL and I-League for the upcoming season has been left in the lurch.
Future unknown
Even at the meeting yesterday, sources told mid-day that the future is unknown and that the ball now is in AIFF's court. "No concrete decisions were taken at the meeting. The AFC General Secretary Dato Windsor has given several recommendations on how to merge the ISL and the I-League. Even the decision if ISL champions should get the continental cup spot was not taken," a club official present at the meeting said yesterday.
To facilitate and act on the AFC recommendations, the ISL and I-League club officials have requested the AIFF to conduct a meeting next week where a decision on the merger is likely to be taken.
"We have to decide on the short-term future of the game as soon as possible," Das said after the meeting.
'Right structure crucial'
"The objectives were clear; to help provide a road map for the future development of Indian football by reaching a consensus on the way forward. It was a significant step towards that agreement that the right structure for the game should be paramount," Windsor said in a press release.
With the FIFA U-17 World Cup scheduled to begin from October 6, time is running short for Indian football's governing body. "There has to be a league this season. Whether it will be the ISL or the I-League or just one league, is still not known," the official added.
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