AIFF Gets Five Team Bids for I-League Entry

The League Committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) held a meeting on June 13, 2023. The committee, led by Mr. Lalnghinglova Hmar, discussed various matters related to the league. Attendees included Secretary General Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran, Committee Members Mr. M Satyanarayan, Mr. Arif Ali, Dr. Kiran Chougule, Mr. Amit Chaudhuri, Mr. Caetano Fernandes, Mr. Reginold Varghese, and AIFF CTO Mr. Vincent Subramaniam.

Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran expressed satisfaction with the committee's work in enhancing the value of the league and clubs in India. He mentioned the competitiveness of the Hero 2nd Division League in the previous season and the positive impact expected from the promotion of Delhi FC and Shillong Lajong. He also highlighted plans to improve the structure of the Indian Women's League (IWL), increase youth competitions, and attract new teams to the Hero I-League. The committee received five bids from YMS Finance Pvt Ltd (Kolkata), Namdhari Seeds Pvt Ltd (Punjab), Nimida United Sports Development Pvt Ltd (Bengaluru), Concatenate Advest Advisory Pvt Ltd (Delhi), and Bunkerhill Pvt Ltd (Gurugram) for direct entry into the I-League 2023-24 season.

The committee, chaired by Mr. Hmar, emphasized its importance in shaping the football structure in India and drew inspiration from other Asian countries. Mr. Hmar congratulated Delhi FC and Shillong Lajong for their promotion to the I-League and Gokulam Kerala for winning the IWL. The committee decided that the Hero IWL 2023-24 season will consist of eight teams, including the top four from each group in the previous season. A new 2nd Division will be introduced, and state champions will compete for a chance to qualify for the IWL 2024-25 season. The top two teams from the 2nd Division will advance, while two teams from 2023-24 will be relegated. The nomination deadline for the 2nd Division will be announced later.

In the Men's 2nd Division League 2023-24, eight teams will participate, including three teams from the previous 2nd Division League, two relegated teams from the I-League 2022-23, and three teams from the 3rd Division. The 3rd Division will be a platform for state champions and nominated teams, and ISL reserve teams will not be part of the 2nd or 3rd Division. The deadline for team nominations for the 3rd Division is July 30, 2023.

The committee also approved new formats for the U-13 and U-15 leagues. The U-13 league will be played with seven players on each side, while the U-15 league will have nine players on each side. State leagues need to be completed by October, and the national leagues will commence in November.