The Indian Soccer League’s first edition has been a revelation. It ended with a worthy winner from a region known for its football passion, with an Indian player Mohammed Rafique netting the winner in injury time, much like Mario Gotze did for Germany in extra time in the World Cup final in Brazil.
The initial scepticism over ageing international stars, all that the league could afford, were laid to rest. Matches across India drew large crowds of football fans. It was not as if the pro sport league was just filling up seats to satisfy the broadcaster’s wishes.
The ISL and the earlier pro-kabaddi league showed that India is not a one-sport country, though these obviously borrowed hugely from cricket’s IPL. In time, the ISL will get younger players from abroad, even as the formula of a minimum of five Indian players in the XI will serve the interests of home-grown talent. Any number of little-known footballers became stars in the first ISL won by Atletico de Kolkata, with former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly the public face of celebrity owners.
The league will have to examine its punishing schedule and learn to factor in more time for players to recover from injuries and the long hours of cross-country travel to play in different climatic conditions. The encouragement of local coaches and talent scouts would help the ISL evolve into a prime sporting property, that might in time also help Indian soccer ascend the FIFA ladder.
