As the clubs deliberate with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to figure out a way forward for Indian football, one thing is for certain — even if there is a league, it will be a curtailed one and a competition that will not be as attractive as the ISL. That is not to suggest that it shouldn’t happen. Something is better than nothing, and at least football will resume in the country. The players will find their feet and the ecosystem will get a lifeline.
As we wait for clarity, I have to say two things have given me hope. The first is the tremendous success of the Kerala Super League and second is the successful staging of the first edition of the Bengal Super League. In Kerala, the average attendance has been over 25,000 in every game and that’s a staggering statistic. In Bengal, we have seen thousands throng the ground to watch local players and already some names have started to do the rounds as the ones to keep an eye on. The Bengal Super League is evidence that the sport has takers in the state and we need to do it well.
It is with this view in mind that we have decided to have a panel discussion titled: “Are state leagues the way forward for Indian football” at Trailblazers 4.0. The panel will include an administrator, a leading footballer of repute, a footballer who is associated with the BSL as mentor or scout, the promoters — Shrachi in Bengal — and a team owner from the Kerala Super League. Can leagues like these strengthen the ecosystem and give football a new fillip? Will we see new talent emerge and when things get all right with the national league, can these leagues act as a supply line for the clubs?
I have watched a few matches of the Kerala league and also a few matches of the Bengal Super League. Each game, irrespective of the standard, has been competitive. Fan passion is evident from the first minute and the craze should be enough to attract corporate attention. In Bengal, football has forever been a sub-urban sport and the BSL has successfully tapped into that passion.
At Trailblazers, our aim will be to set the narrative. Can there be a template that other states follow in the years to come? With huge talent in the North East, do we see a pan-North-East league? Are these regional leagues the future of the sport in India?
While each of these questions are pertinent, we don’t have definitive answers to them just yet. Kerala is a proven success story. BSL has shown serious promise but it’s just the starting year. So we need more from it before we come to some sort of conclusion.
But amid the doom and gloom, where the sport has come to a complete standstill at the national level, these leagues have come as a breath of fresh air. They have given players something to look forward to and have opened up a new pathway for budding talent. That’s what we will discuss at the Conclave in March 2026.
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