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Tag: AIFF

  • Ten Network to telecast I-League ’17 from 7 Jan

    Ten Network to telecast I-League ’17 from 7 Jan

    MUMBAI: With the U-17 World Cup coming up next year, both ISL and the I-League would be the major sporting platforms to engage audience with the game. With the third season of Hero Indian Super League already under way, and being widely followed, it will be interesting to see how the next season of the I- League pans out.

    The 10th season of I-League starts on the 7 January, 2017. The premier football league in the country has undergone a few changes since the advent of the Indian Super League. With talks of a merger with ISL going on since a few months now, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has said that this might be the last year of the I-League.

    Bengaluru FC, the team which recently reached the finals of the AFC Cup, are the defending champions of the I-League. With Salgaocar FC and Sporting Clube de Goa pulling out of the mix, the AIFF had called for entries to new clubs into the top-tier directly via bids. In 2013, Bengaluru FC and Mumbai Tigers got their direct entries into the I-League, and it has been a terrific journey for the Blues since.

    Meanwhile, two new teams, Minerva Punjab FC and Chennai City FC, had their bids approved and are all set to be a part of the league commencing 7 January. This comes as a welcome news as Punjab, as a state, will make its debut into the game this season.

    Ten Network will be telecasting the I-league in India. Joining hands with the AIFF and IMG- Reliance, the Network — owned by Sony Pictures Network, will be telecasting 75 matches in each season. With the ISL bringing new excitement to the game in the country, the I-League would like to tap into new audience for the next season.

  • ‘Mission 11 Million’ to engage children in football from October

    ‘Mission 11 Million’ to engage children in football from October

    NEW DELHI: All states and Union Territories have been urged to take necessary steps to popularize and promote the sport of football in their territory in order to make the FIFA U-17 World Cup a huge success by including Football in various programmes of the State Governments.

    In a letter sent to all chief secretaries of states and union territories, Department of Sports secretary Rajiv Yadav said that FIFA U-17 World Cup is going to be held in India in October 2017 and it is the first time that this prestigious tournament will be held in India.

    Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ programme on 27 March, the letter said that Modi had called for building an atmosphere and fervour of football in the country as a run up to the FIFA U-17 World Cup. He wants football to be played in every nook and corner of the country.

    The communication said that following the call of the Prime Minister, the Department of Sports had initiated a series of steps to popularize football throughout the country. Several rounds of discussion have been held with FIFA, AIFF, KVS, CBSE, Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society and other stakeholders to firm up appropriate programmes.

    As a result, ‘Mission 11 Million’ programme has been formulated and will be launched in coordination with FIFA in about 30 cities across the country. The letter said the primary objective of the programme is to engage more than 11 million children in activities relating to football. It said the programme is likely to be launched in October this year.

  • ‘Mission 11 Million’ to engage children in football from October

    ‘Mission 11 Million’ to engage children in football from October

    NEW DELHI: All states and Union Territories have been urged to take necessary steps to popularize and promote the sport of football in their territory in order to make the FIFA U-17 World Cup a huge success by including Football in various programmes of the State Governments.

    In a letter sent to all chief secretaries of states and union territories, Department of Sports secretary Rajiv Yadav said that FIFA U-17 World Cup is going to be held in India in October 2017 and it is the first time that this prestigious tournament will be held in India.

    Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ programme on 27 March, the letter said that Modi had called for building an atmosphere and fervour of football in the country as a run up to the FIFA U-17 World Cup. He wants football to be played in every nook and corner of the country.

    The communication said that following the call of the Prime Minister, the Department of Sports had initiated a series of steps to popularize football throughout the country. Several rounds of discussion have been held with FIFA, AIFF, KVS, CBSE, Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society and other stakeholders to firm up appropriate programmes.

    As a result, ‘Mission 11 Million’ programme has been formulated and will be launched in coordination with FIFA in about 30 cities across the country. The letter said the primary objective of the programme is to engage more than 11 million children in activities relating to football. It said the programme is likely to be launched in October this year.

  • Ten Sports Network renews I-League broadcasting contract

    Ten Sports Network renews I-League broadcasting contract

    MUMBAI: Ten Sports Network has renewed the broadcasting contract of I-League for an additional one year. The broadcaster had the rights for 10 years since the inception of the league. The entire rights of India football is with IMG Reliance and the broadcaster’s deal is with the company.   

     

    The league was officially launched today in Kolkata in the presence of players from all nine competing clubs, along with All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das and representative from Hero Motocorp.

     

    This season will have two debutants in the I-League namely DSK Shivajians FC and Aizawl FC. With the addition of these two clubs, the battle for the ultimate glory in Indian football will be fought between nine clubs. The Hero I-League 2015-16 kicks off on the back of some solid showing by the Indian players in the recently concluded SAFF Championship 2015-16 and the Hero Indian Super League 2015.

     

    The first match of the Hero I-League 2015-16 season will see defending champions Mohun Bagan take on Aizawl FC in Kolkata on 9 January, 2016.

     

    Touting this Hero I-League season as the most competitive and promising, Das said, “We’ve witnessed an enthralling Hero I-League last season, which kept us captivated till the final whistle on 31 May, 2015. Definitely the teams will try to push their limits this season too and strive hard to win the silverware. Champions Mohun Bagan can’t show any signs of complacency as all eight teams will play out of their skins to dethrone them.”

     

    Hero MotoCorp chairman MD and CEO Pawal Munjal added, “This will be the second year of our association with the I-League and after the exemplary show last season, we are all eagerly looking forward to the upcoming season which kicks off in three days. Over the years we have continued to support various sporting events in the country and it gives us immense pleasure to be associated with both the Hero ISL as well as the Hero I-League. Football is fast emerging as one of the most popular sports among youngsters in the country and we are indeed happy to support the game. After the grand conclusion of the Hero ISL season 2, it is now time for Hero I-League to take centre stage.”

     

    Over the next five months, fans will get to witness 72 high-octane matches across six cities in the country. Traditional rivals Mohan Bagan and East Bengal will lock horns on 23 January, 2016 amidst the ever-so-passionate Kolkata fans. The return leg between these two Indian Football power houses will be played on 2 April, 2016.

     

    The Hero I-League 2015-16 champions will receive a whopping prize amount of Rs 1 crore. It may be recalled that the previous season’s champions pocketed Rs 70 lakh in prize money. The teams finishing second and third will win Rs 60 lakh and Rs 40 lakh respectively. Additionally, winners of every game will win Rs 50,000. As if this was not enough, travel subsidy has been raised to Rs 45 lakh with the match day subsidy hiked to Rs 1 lakh.

     

    The Hero I-League 2015-16 will be telecast live across the Ten Sports Network.

  • Preps on for India’s first international football event – Under 17 World Cup

    Preps on for India’s first international football event – Under 17 World Cup

    NEW DELHI: With the first-ever international football event coming up in India, Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has urged all the stakeholders of the FIFA U 17 World Cup 2017 tournament to work together as a team and put their best foot forward.

     

    Addressing the first board meeting of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the tournament, he assured the complete support of the government. 

     

    Earlier, All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Praful Patel explained the vital importance of the tournament for the overall development of Indian football and outlined the support necessary from all quarters for successfully staging the tournament. 

     

    LOC FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 Tournament director Javier Ceppi updated the board on the current progress of the preparations. 

     

    Sports secretary Rajiv Yadav and representatives of Goa, Kochi, Guwahati and Kolkata also updated the forum on the current progress of work at the various venues. 

     

    The FIFA U 17 World Cup, 2017 is the first ever FIFA tournament to be held in India and will be staged in September–October 2017. Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Kochi, Kolkata and Guwahati have been initially shortlisted as venues for the event. 

  • ‘ISL and I-League will complement, not threaten each other:’ AIFF’s Kushal Das

    ‘ISL and I-League will complement, not threaten each other:’ AIFF’s Kushal Das

    MUMBAI: The Rs 700 crore deal between All India Football Federation (AIFF) and IMG-Reliance, signed after the contract termination between AIFF and Zee Sport, gave IMG-Reliance the opportunity of kick-starting a new football league in India namely the Indian Super League (ISL).

     

    The 15-year deal between AIFF and IMG-Reliance signed in 2010 will subsequently conclude in 2025. The deal gave IMG-Reliance exclusive commercial rights to sponsorship, advertising, broadcasting, merchandising, video, franchising, and rights to create a new football league.

     

    Naysayers termed the emergence of ISL as a threat to traditional I-League but Television Audience Measurement (TAM) ratings for the 2014 -15 season sang a completely different tune.

     

    I-League, which was telecast on Zee’s Ten Sports and Ten Action, garnered 79 TVTs in 2014-15 season which is 13 per cent more than 70 TVTs of the 2013-14 season. In terms of TVRs, the league registered 11 per cent growth in the current seasons.

     

    Speaking exclusively to Indiantelevision.com AIFF general secretary Kushal Das says, “I-League’s growth this year is really encouraging and it proves what I have always been saying that both ISL and I-League will complement each other and there is no chance of one posing threat over other. This year the growth has been because of various reasons. Infrastructure played a vital role, quality of matches were good and the players wanted to leave a mark so that they could have a bigger opportunity and that’s where ISL helped. Overall, it has been a very positive year for the League.”

     

    The conclusion of 2014-15 season also marked an end to the 10 year broadcasting deal with Ten Sports. The league had no advertiser on board in the current season. When asked if the network will bid again for the asset Ten Sports CEO Rajesh Sethi says, “I-League is an organised mechanism, which reflects the national interest. In England we have English Premier League and this edition of I-League has been a major encouragement. The interest level was high, we witnessed 20000 attendance in the final and football is more widespread across the nation now. So it’s no longer Bengal, Kerela and Goa… it’s all over the country. ISL at a macro level has increased the pie of football and all these factors make I-League an interesting prospect. Hence we will be of course going for it and see how things are.”

     

    Football viewership in India was descending at a brisk pace till ISL came into picture. While in 2012 it was 137 GVTs, in 2013 it dropped to 127 GVTs. However, the emergence of ISL in 2014 heaped it up to a mammoth 215 GVTs, which is only second to cricket. Not only GVTs, in terms of cumulative reach, football in India reached to mammoth 637 million viewers, which forced advertisers to pay attention to the sport.

     

    “The only way for football in India is upwards. The sport will witness a 360 degree growth. After the success of ISL, advertisers are looking at the sport with a different vision. I don’t know if I–League singlehandedly can turn out to be a highly revenue generating asset for broadcaster but overall if bundled properly, it may turn out to be an interesting prospect. However, having said that I feel that football will witness a holistic growth,” asserts a senior media planning expert.

     

    It now remains to be seen which channel becomes the screen for I-League and if both the leagues can ensure prosperity at the same time. Overall after the 1950s, it’s the first time that football is becoming a prime force in the sports fraternity.

  • Govt. puts its weight behind AIFF to host FIFA U-17 World Cup

    Govt. puts its weight behind AIFF to host FIFA U-17 World Cup

    MUMBAI: FICCI’s ‘Goal 2015’, the third International Convention on Football Business, kicked off with All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das, describing three monumental events — the strengthening of the I-League, launch of the Indian Super League and planning under way for India to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup – as “game changers” for Indian football.

     

    Ministry of Youth Affairs sports director Vivek Narain said, “On its part, the Government of India pledged full support to supplement the efforts of AIFF in hosting the World Cup for which it has earmarked Rs 95 crore.”

     

    Narain said that the Government was looking for more active participation from the private sector for beefing up the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF), using the vehicle of CSR.

     

    NSDF has been established for mobilising resources from non-government resources, including private/public sector and non-resident Indians for the promotion of sports and games in the country. The funds available under NSDF are mainly used towards supplementing government assistance to the elite sportspersons who are medal prospects at major international events, for meeting their specific coaching/training requirements by way of provision of scientific support and training within the country and abroad, purchase of equipment, participation in international competitions etc. The objectives of the fund also include construction of sports infrastructure, taking up research projects and development studies and promotion of international cooperation. 

     

    FICCI Sports Committee chairman Sanjiv Paul said that Indian football is ushering in a new dawn. The Indian Super League seemed to inject fresh energy into the system and the country is witnessing unearthing of talent like never before. FICCI, he said, salutes this new found fervour for sport in general and football in particular amongst fans whose passion is driving these to new heights.

     

    He said that the corporate sector has shown a lot of confidence by investing incrementally year-on-year. The efforts are visible at the state and district level that has helped increase the number of participants and supporters of the sport within regions.

     

    “As per our estimates, more than 20 lakh players play the game across the country. Thus lot of opportunities for entrepreneurs present in this room to reach out and connect,” he pointed out.

     

    Head of Public Affairs, Premier League Tim Vine said, “There was huge potential for football to grow in India and his organisation was keen to assist in every aspect of the game. The Premier League was conducting a series of workshops on football across India on topics such as governance, youth development, stadium management and media relations, etc. It was crucial that the game develops from grassroots upwards.”

     

    FICCI secretary general A Didar Singh added, “The export of sports goods from India is valued at Rs 1100 crore and the country is today counted among one of the largest football manufacturers and exporters in the world. It could well become the largest exporter with greater effort provided that there is a conducive environment available. ‘Invest India’ for attracting FDI and ‘Make in India’ for making India a global manufacturing hub provide ample opportunities for catapulting the sports goods industry, especially the football business, to another orbit.”

  • I -League set to return on 17 January 2015

    I -League set to return on 17 January 2015

    MUMBAI: The launch of Indian Super League (ISL), made many doubt if the country’s original football league would be able to sustain or not. However, putting fears to rest about the future sustainability of the I–League, it is all set to take off from 17 January 2015 in Bengaluru and will be telecast on Ten Sports.

     

    The official broadcaster, which will air 75 out of the total 110 matches live on the channel, is optimistic about it.  Ten Sports CEO Rajesh Sethi says, “We have had a long-standing partnership with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the I-League. We have seen this property grow leaps and bounds on our network in terms of audience interest and viewership numbers.”  

     

    He goes on to say that the network values the primary national league on its platform and is looking forward to an exciting new season of the tournament from January 2015 as well as the Federation Cup, which will commence from December 2014.

     

    While some sports experts feel that the ongoing Hero Indian Super League (ISL) would cause sustainability problems for the league, the announcement comes as a welcome move.  Sports columnist Hemant Kenkre says, “The I-League was introduced in India as a professional football league. While India may have a low ranking in terms of world football standings, foreign leagues like the EPL are popular in the country. The I-League together with the Indian Super League can co-exist together, as a large number of football leagues will provide not just an opportunity for youngsters to play but also give international exposure for the game.”

     

    The decision on the dates for the league, were taken at the recent I-League and Federation Cup committee meeting. It was also decided that the inaugural edition of the AIFF U-15 tournament for I-league clubs will be held in the next calendar year and will consist of 16 teams wherein besides the 10 league clubs, four other academies and two AIFF academies will be a part of the final round.

     

    “With the new clubs in the league giving more importance to infrastructure and grassroots development programmes, and with AIFF’s initiatives for new tournaments in the junior categories, it is definitely going to impact the quality of youngsters in the game in India and I am confident that these initiatives will bear fruit in the Indian teams performances and results in the U-17 World Cup,” adds Sethi.

     

    While coming up with the fixture of the championship, the schedule of school examinations will be kept in mind, and only post discussions with sponsors like Coca Cola and AIFF marketing partners IMG-Reliance, will intimate the clubs. It has also been decided that the registration of players would be done centrally through the state associations and all ID cards would be issued by AIFF. No club would be allowed to register a player after the completion of the 11th round of I-League.

     

    As per the release of players for the AFC U-22 Qualifiers, slated to be held from 23 to 31 March 2015, the clubs have agreed to get back to the governing body over the same. Meanwhile, the second division league would take place in two venues which are to be finalised post inspection by AIFF. The eight participating Clubs are Aizawl FC, Chanmari FC, United Sports Club, Mohammedan Sporting, PIFA Sports, Kenkre Sports, Hindustan FC and Lonestar Kashmir FC. The U-19 I-League will kick-off in the second week of December.

     

    The last season of the championship was won by the newcomer Bangalore FC, which was led by India’s national football team captain, Sunil Chhetri.  When asked for his expectations for the upcoming league he says, “Expectations remain same in the I-League; we want to defend our title. We want to make it as difficult as possible for the competition. We also have an AFC competition and the Federation Cup so we have our work cut out.”

     

    “The players obviously want to put up performances that the audiences can enjoy,” he concludes.

  • The twin tragedies of Indian football that went unnoticed

    The twin tragedies of Indian football that went unnoticed

    During the 13th episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati season seven, contestant Sumeet Kumar Sinha was asked: ‘Which team won the first Durand Cup football tournament in 1940 and most recently in 2013?’ The contestant answered Mohammedan Sporting and went home rich with a purse of three lakh twenty thousand rupees.

     

    But sadly, the club has now decided to shut operations after going bankrupt, unable to pay salaries to their players for the last three months. What makes the tale even grim is the fact that this historic club founded in 1891 is even older than the parent body of global football FIFA, founded in 1904!

     

    The decision answers the urgent need to come up with a strong sustainable business model that football clubs in India have been struggling to implement for long. Domestic clubs have been unable to garner lucrative sponsorship deals and have managed to sustain so far through the monies of businessmen who own the clubs, generous contribution from football aficionados, club membership payments and tournament prize money which are paltry when it comes to running a club that includes composition of foreign players. Experts will mention how internal workings and squabbles within these domestic clubs make it a bigger problem. Mohammedan Sporting won its last trophy this year during the IFA Shield but was axed from the I-League for failing to fulfill AIFF’s club licensing criteria.

     

    A leading daily said that in the last season, the club spent approximately Rs 10 crore on the senior football team and was walking a tight rope.  The club will now focus on developing youth teams and upgrading infrastructure. Clubs like these need to realise that a sense of professionalism needs to be infused before we see other such clubs shutting shop.

     

    While the country is footballing with the Hero Indian Super League which is promising to improve the football scene in India via better facilities, there was another tragic incident that has shocked football fans. The death of 23 year old Indian football, Peter Biaksangzuala, has garnered global media attention. Celebration was followed by devastation as he attempted to celebrate a goal with a somersault that damaged his spinal cord. He was taken to the hospital, where he underwent a surgery but did not survive. Biaksangzuala had scored an equaliser for Bethlehem Vengthlang football club against Chanmari West football club. The club is based in the north east of India.

     

    While these two tragedies have left a deep void, let us hope that the ongoing Hero ISL helps propel deeper interest for the game and may Biaksangzuala’s soul rest in peace.

  • Muthoot Group unveils The Muthoot Group Fair Play Award trophy

    Muthoot Group unveils The Muthoot Group Fair Play Award trophy

    MUMBAI: The Muthoot Group, the official referee and fair play award sponsor at the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) has unveiled The Muthoot Group Fair Play Award.  Standing at a height of two feet and designed in the shape of a gold-coloured whistle, the trophy embodies the symbol of ‘Fair Play’.

    This trophy will be given to the team who earns the maximum Fair Play points at the end of the football league.
     
    Speaking on the occasion, The Muthoot Group AGM marketing Avinav Chaubey said, “Our decision to partner with the Hero ISL goes beyond business as ‘fair play’ reflects the innate values of our brand and the game. We believe that the concept of fair play extends beyond the game and has resonance and applicability in an individual’s day to day life. Thus, this season and in the continuing years, we aim to highlight the game and the concept of ‘fair play’, as we believe that this sport has the potential to grow and become ‘a global football power’ in the coming years in India. Our association with the tournament will also allow us to build the referees as brand advocates and ambassadors of fair play.”
     
    Speaking about the partnership, All India Football Federation (AIFF) director Col. Gautam Kar said, “We are glad that The Muthoot Group has made a commitment to support the first ever season of Hero ISL as the Official Referee and Fair Play Awards Sponsor. We are extremely proud of our association with the company and are confident that The Muthoot Group’s support will encourage players to live up to the values of the game of football.”
     
    The much awaited ten-week football league will conclude on 20 December 2014 and will feature international and Indian players, with eight teams playing 61 matches in eight cities across the country.