Main issue with Indian football is lack of league structure: Kushal Das

AIFF general secretary Kushal Das pointed out that the main issue with Indian football was the lack of a robust league structure

All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das on Friday said that the main issue with football in the country is the lack of a robust league structure.

The Indian men’s football league system consists of three divisions (Indian Super League, I-league and I-League 2nd Division), besides the Indian Women’s League (IWL).

Currently ranked 106th in the FIFA chart, the men’s national team is aiming to qualify for its second successive AFC Asian Cup finals and are clubbed with Afghanistan (150), Cambodia (171) Hong Kong (147) in Group D for the qualifiers in June.

“... It’s such a popular sport, easy to play, still India is far from where it should be and that’s a very valid question. I think the main issue with football in India is the league structure,” Das said at the launch of ‘International Sports Expo’ here.

India kicked off the I-league in 2007 while countries like Japan and South Korea had started much before, and Das conceded that India was late on that front too.

“It’s such a popular sport, easy to play, still, India is far from where it should be and that’s a very valid question. I think the main issue with football in India is the league structure”Kushal Das, All India Football Federation general secretary

“Now way back in the 1970s, India used to beat Japan, in the 60s India beat South Korea to win the Asian Cup, but after that we lost. The reason is very simple; Japan started the league, their national league in the 1980s, and South Korea at the same time. India actually started a national league in 2007, which is the I-league, so we are 20 years behind.