Indian Super League (ISL)! There is no soccer in it! Is it all about commerce? Club vs. Club? Franchise vs. Franchise? The much-hyped ISL has been travelling to distant corners of the country, attracting a goodly number of fans to the venues. But at what cost to Indian football?
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) says that the ISL is just a tournament. Ever heard of a tournament being allotted a 70-day exclusive window? This is precisely the privilege that the ISL has been granted, bringing to stop all other football activities. The season started on June 1 and, in the last six months, neither the prestigious Federation Cup nor the I-League has been kicked off. The main fear is that the importance of international matches and serious football may take a backseat because of ISL mania. Just like the Indian Premier League.
Many of these private sporting leagues — sponsored by ‘sports promoters’ with great business interests — have mushroomed in the last few years essentially with an aim to capturing the market by selling dreams to youngsters. It is widely believed that the Indian Premier League (IPL) set the trend but it was the Indian Cricket League (ICL) that created the buzz for private competitions between clubs.
When Kapil Dev decided to help cricketers earn extra money through the ICL in 2007 and made an impact in the opening season, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) launched the IPL in 2008 to counter the Zee Entertainment-promoted venture. The ICL faded away two years later owing to lack of infrastructure but the IPL — launched with great fanfare involving some legends of the game like Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne and Rahul Dravid — took off with an amazing response from the fans.
Even as the connoisseurs ridiculed private sporting leagues, the youth welcomed the idea. When the IPL was launched, the promoters were apprehensive but a clever combination of glamour and entertainment set the platform for the competition to grow. “It was a landmark development for sports in the country,” observed Olympian Milkha Singh, who advocated a similar competition to boost athletics in the country.
The Premier Hockey League (PHL), held from 2005 to 2008, was a huge step towards popularising the game. The players loved the attention in the media and crowds surged to watch them in action. Last year, the Hockey India League (HIL) came into being with some of the big names in the game adding lustre.
The Indian Badminton League (IBL) promised to bring in a revolution but failed to go beyond the first edition. The Pro Kabaddi League, aimed to give importance to indigenous sport, proved a success in its inaugural edition this year. It promises to grow because it is one sport that ensures a gold medal for India at the Asian Games.
The common factor in these private leagues has been the involvement of big business houses willing to own teams in order to create a niche in the market, film stars lending support to swell their fan following, even some cricketers investing their money and name by buying some teams in hockey, football and badminton.
Where does it place Indian sport? Old timers believe it will not impact the overall state of sports in the country, certainly not in terms of international status. Noted footballer Baichung Bhutia has gone on record welcoming the ISL but is not prepared to concede it will benefit Indian football. The earning for the players was a positive, as far as Bhutia was concerned, but there was no merit in the claim that it would improve the state of the game. There has been no attempt to keep the Indian sportspersons in these leagues in the focus through the year. Instead, they surface only during the short duration of these leagues. Such leagues may be good for a few elite sportspersons but they have not really spurred youngsters to participate in sport, even at the recreation level. For youngsters, the absence of a star player like Sunil Chetri from this ISL, will hardly be a motivating factor.
Leagues must always have a rub-off effect not only by creating aspiration among those on the fringes but also inspiriting others to increase the number of athletes practising competitive sport. Above all, Indian sports fans tend to celebrate the national team’s performances a great deal more than the clubs.
Football observers believe the ISL will take the sheen off the AIFF dream project, the I-League, and reduce domestic football to a farce. The ISL format does not help in long-time football development. Also, the influence of Indian players is negligible. Six foreigners in the playing 11 leave the home ‘talent’ as mere spectators.
Indian football stands to lose a lot because all franchises, having announced grassroots programme and youth development projects, have done little. Barring some sporadic initiatives to connect with the young athletes — like the Delhi Daredevils Schools Cricket Cup now in its third year now — precious little has been done to encourage youngsters to go beyond watching sport from the comfort of their couches. There could be hope once this edition of the ISL is over. It does not promise much, just as the IPL, where similar claims were made but not delivered.
The ISL has succeeded in bringing quality football to the fans but how does it improve the state of Indian football, which languishes at the bottom? The same can’t be said of the IPL, which produces average fare compared to international standards. Many IPL stars don’t stand a chance of making it to the national teams. One thing is common though. The ISL and IPL have an encouraging fan base. A lot now depends on how the franchises contribute towards the improvement of infrastructure in the country. Players’ development and grassroots football all over the world is initiated by clubs. Will these ambitious franchises emulate this practice? That will decide the future of the sporting leagues in the country.
