The mix of unpredictability and competitiveness coupled with the sheer dint of players performance have quelled fears about the event drifting into irrelevance and obscurity in the face of competition from the corporate-backed Indian Super League (ISL).
The uniqueness of this years I-League is obviously the competitiveness and unpredictability. A team struggling at the bottom beating any big team on any given day is something that is drawing the crowd, got people talking about it, Dhar told PTI.
The league, though, went down to the wire last year too.
The arrival of another debutants, Neroca FC, who also have a mathematical chance of winning the silverware, has added another dimension to the event that was once on the verge of being dubbed moribund.
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"Look at the newer clubs like Chennai and Gokulam, they have a few sponsors and they are also investing from their own pockets into infrastructure, into grass-root development, which is a very refreshing change. All this is good for Indian football, Dhar said.
The I-League has held its own while taking on a product that is armed with big money, celebrity owners and overseas stars. The likes of Dimitar Bervatov and Robbie Keane, currently plying their trade in the ISL, though, are well past their prime.
I am not a technical person, but I would say there is a difference (between I-League and ISL) in the team budget. But quality-wise whichever tactical person that I have spoken to they are saying that the quality of play is at par, he added.
He said the exuberance and the willingness of the unheralded ones to make a mark, too, have powered the I-League.
Having one league in the future remains a subject of discussion and the AIFF administrator said they are still working on various possibilities.
I dont want to put extra pressure on every one of us by giving a date, but we are working towards it. We have taken help from FIFA and AFC, its not as easy people from outside think, things are complicated, there are contractual issues also which need to be taken into consideration.
Traditional heavyweights Mohun Bagan and East Bengal pulled out of the ISL race last year after their three-point demand, including franchise fee waiver, was not entertained.
Asked about it, Dhar said, On one side there are new clubs who are backed by deep pockets and on the other there are the legacy clubs, so obviously, there has to be a fine balance. Its not very easy. We are trying to see what is best for Indian football.
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