NEW DELHI: After going cold these last three months, talk of Indian Super League team Delhi Dynamos FC shifting base from the capital’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JNS) to make the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar their home stadium have resurfaced.
It was three months ago almost to the day that reports first surfaced that the team was in advanced talks to make the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar – which hosted two editions of the Hero Super Cup – as their home stadium beginning from the 2019-20 season.
The fact that JNS has repeatedly failed to attract crowds was seen as the primary reason behind the decision to shift out of the capital. While the JNS boasts a 60,000 capacity, the average spectator turnout in Delhi last season was just under 9,000.
Dynamos have been keen to use the Delhi University Stadium but with a formal agreement not forthcoming, the club was reportedly able to reach agreement only with the government of Odisha.
Additionally, the club’s management felt that the cost of operations could be lowered with this move, Goal.com reported on Wednesday.
An industry source close to the developments confirmed to SportzPower that active negotiations had indeed revived after positive feedback from the Odisha government and ISL organisers Football Sports Development Ltd, but cautioned that a signed and sealed agreement was not yet in place.
He also pointed out that if a formal deal was not in place within the next one week, then the team could well continue in the capital. Reason? Sponsorship pitches for the upcoming ISL would perforce have to be aligned with where the team was operating from.
The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar has been utilised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in the last couple of years for hosting several events of Indian football.
It is also likely that the club might change its name as they are looking at the possibility of making this shift in venue permanent.
Dynamos have not had a successful ISL outing in the last two years as they finished out of the top six in the last two seasons.
They had managed to reach the last four stage on two occasions out of the first three seasons.
