NEW DELHI: The Hero I-League will start in the first week of January and not in December, after the West Bengal government asked the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to postpone the start of the tournament citing festive rush during Christmas and New year. It will be held in three or four venues in and around Kolkata, reports The New Indian Express.
Keeping in mind rising COVID-19 cases, the new season is set to witness a new format, on the lines of what is seen in the Chinese Super League. Each team, instead of facing the other twice, will play once against each other. The top six will feature in the championship round, while the bottom five will fight to stave off relegation in another mini group.
I-League CEO Sunando Dhar stated “This will see a reduction in the number of matches. This proposal was discussed with all 11 teams and they were happy with the rejig.”
A safety app on the lines of the one used in IPL might be used to track the movement of players and officials. Salt Lake Stadium, Kalyani Stadium and Barasat Stadium are set to host matches. The AIFF drew praise for the successful staging of the qualifiers. The Cricket Association of Bengal enquired about the bio-bubble for tournaments it wants to conduct.
