WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014 SPORTS Glitzy Indian league leaves fans underwhelmed NEW DELHI: Just five weeks after a glitzy kickoff, “It’s not the same as watching Arsenal play Kolkata and ex-Portugese colony Goa. nobody came out crying, nobody cared.” India’s fledgling football league claims to be the most Chelsea, that’s for sure,” said 26-year-old computer “In India ... the people, they love football so much, Kapadia said he was also concerned about popular in Asia-even if the quality of matches and college student Anindya Sharma, waving a hand- they love the ,” said former France whether the ISL was committed to fostering football performances of its ageing stars have left fans under- made sign. and Arsenal star Robert Pires, 41, who scored his first in India at the grassroots level by working with exist- whelmed. Backed by some of the biggest names in “But we should support our own league, our own goal last week for Goa. ing domestic clubs. business and sport, the inaugural league has lured a Indian league,” he added, cheering with his friend in Sensing the commercial potential, Rupert “That’s my biggest fear that, for the sake of glam- host of big-name internationals out of retirement to an empty stand. Warming the Delhi bench, Italian Murdoch’s Star TV is backing the ISL, along with our, there’s only room for the big foreign names not help India shed its image as the sleeping giant of great glumly watched his team sports management giant IMG and the Reliance the Indians.” Brazilian great also urged the ISL to world football. get thumped 4-1. The former Juventus striker group, run by India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani. join forces with the existing domestic I-League to Halfway through the competition, Indian Super described the league as a “big challenge”, adding he provide a much larger pool of Indian players. League (ISL) organisers-citing the latest figures-claim would reserve his judgement until after the tourna- BOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR Organisers should also change the frenetic pace 22,639 fans on average have packed stadiums for ment ended. “Everyone at the moment is trying to The ISL has slick advertisements and Bollywood of the tournament-with 61 matches crammed into each match, while a total of 318 million viewers have pour as much effort as they can into the competition A-listers, such as Salman Khan, as co-owners to try to 10 weeks, he said. watched on television. (to make it a success),” the 40-year-old told AFP. prick the interest of millions of Indians normally “It is very hard for the players, they can easily get “(The) has achieved the rare devoted to cricket. injured.” But Zico, Goa’s manager who has coached milestone of having registered the highest average NEGLECTED AT GRASSROOTS Famous players including Sweden’s Freddie all over the world including in Japan, said he was stadium attendance for any football league in Asia, Despite being the second most populous nation, Ljungberg, 37, and controversial Frenchman Nicolas confident the ISL would succeed. ahead of competitions such as China’s CSL, Japan’s J- India has long struggled in world football and cur- Anelka front the eight city-based franchises. “This tournament is a very big success for the League and ’s K-League,” an ISL rently stands at 159 — out of 208 countries-in the But India’s best-known football writer, Novy public, television, marketing, I really believe it can spokesman said. FIFA rankings. Cricket dominates on the subconti- Kapadia, said initial excitement has dwindled. help the development of India’s football,” he said. The figures mark “India’s arrival as a footballing nent, and football at the grassroots level has long “There’s been a spate of goalless draws. And there Some gathered at the Delhi stadium remained nation to the world,” the spokesman added. But on a been neglected. are too many ageing players who take longer to sceptical. With tickets only 200 rupees ($3.20) each, smoggy night last week at the capital’s impressive However, the English Premier and other European recover from injuries,” Kapadia said, pointing to university student Kritika Khurana decided to treat Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, just 1,000-odd fans leagues are hugely popular on satellite TV, and pas- Ljungberg who has played only twice for Mumbai her brother Kartik, 11, and his friend to a new experi- turned out to watch the bottom two teams- Delhi sion for local teams has long existed in pockets of the City. “There is no emotional attachment to any team ence.“Yeah it’s okay,” Kartik said. “But cricket is much Dynamos and FC Goa-go head to head. country, especially in former British colonial capital in India, no passion. Delhi was beaten 4-1 but better than this.” — AFP Nigeria lead top teams in final Africa Cup push

ABUJA: Defending champions Nigeria will lead Uganda and is now a major injury doubt. several top teams today including four-time Guinea blew open Group E after they winners Ghana and the Ivory Coast in a final trounced Togo 4-1 in Lome at the weekend, bid to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of and now have to beat Uganda by more than 2- Nations in Equatorial Guinea. The Super Eagles 0 in their final match at home to book their got their tottering campaign back on track at ticket to the final. the weekend in Pointe-Noire, beating hosts Both Uganda and Guinea now have seven Congo to cancel out a 3-2 shock home loss in points, but Uganda are ahead on the head-to- September. head rule after they beat the Syli Stars 2-0 in Nigeria, second in Group A with seven Kampala in September. points from five matches, will bid to beat group It is a straight fight between the Ivory Coast winners South Africa in the brand-new Akwa and DR Congo for the remaining automatic Ibom International Stadium in Uyo to book qualification from Group D after a second-half their place in next year’s continental show- striker by Vincent Aboubakar against DRC in piece. “It was not an easy game against a very Yaounde gave the Indomitable Lions an unas- determined Congo side, but luck was on our sailable 13 points. The Ivorians are on nine side. We took a big step forward (by this win),” points, three points clear of DRC, and will now said coach Stephen Keshi, who will be without need at least a draw at home in Abidjan against Reading Hope Akpan who dislocat- Cameroon to guarantee their place. ed his shoulder in Congo. “Now we must do The Elephants, now captained by everything to get the three points and qualify Manchester City star Yaya Toure, fell 4-2 in for the Nations Cup.” Cameroon three months ago in a very enter- Winners in 1996, South Africa are unbeaten taining clash. DRC skipper Youssouf Mulumbu in five qualifying matches under coach said they have not given up hope of qualifying Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba but head to the and will hope results go their way today. “We southern town of Uyo with a poor record of just still believe in qualifying for the Africa Cup of one win in ten matches against Nigeria. And Nations. Our chances have been reduced, but I both Nigeria and South Africa played out a still keep faith,” said the England-based mid- goalless draw in Cape Town in September. fielder. Mali, Malawi and Ethiopia will jostle for “Going back to Nigeria will be war, it won’t be another ticket in Group B, which has already just an ordinary football match,” admitted been won by on-form Algeria. The Eagles of Mashaba. “Nigeria never expected to draw with Mali are second with six points and welcome us, and we should’ve beaten them, on the day Algeria to Bamako, while Malawi, who also luck was just not on our side.” have six points but an inferior goals difference, Third-placed Congo are hoping South Africa square up against bottom team Ethiopia, who MANCHESTER: Portugal team during a training session at Old Trafford, Manchester, England. — AP can do them a big favour by not losing in are on three points. Nigeria and they win in Sudan today. Mali have only to beat Algeria, who boast a Congo, who last featured at the Nations Cup perfect record after five rounds of matches, to United at ‘start of something 14 years ago, could also qualify as third-best seal qualification. Even bottom team Ethiopia losers if they beat Sudan and Guinea fail to have an outside chance if they beat Malawi by beat Uganda at home. at least two clear goals and Mali lose at home special’ despite income drop The Black Stars of Ghana stumbled to a 1-0 to Algeria. loss in Uganda on Saturday, but they are still Malawi are also in contention should they top of Group E with eight points and will only beat Ethiopia by a big score after they defeat- LONDON: Manchester United executive vice- fact that several well-paid first-team squad US-based Glazer family, rose slightly to £362.2 need to draw with visiting Togo in Tamale to ed them 3-2 at home in September. They will chairman Ed Woodward said yesterday the players have left the club including Rio million, while commercial income was up 5.2 advance. “We have to go all out in that game go up to nine points and have cancelled out club were at the “start of something special” Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, , Danny percent to £59.9 million, thanks to a raft of and I am sure we will qualify for the Nations Mali on the head-to-head after they reversed despite announcing a near 10 percent drop in Welbeck and Shinji Kagawa. new sponsorship deals. Cup,” said Everton forward Christian Atsu. a 2-0 loss Bamako three months ago by also income in the first quarter of the financial year Even though van Gaal has made a number However, the biggest of these-a record 10- Suspended Jordan Ayew will return, but older beating the West Africans 2-0 in Malawi on following the English giants’ failure to qualify of high-profile signings, including bringing year kit deal with German sportswear group brother Andre Ayew suffered a thigh injury in Saturday. — AFP for this season’s edition of Europe’s elite Argentina winger to Old Trafford from Real Adidas signed in July worth £750 million that Champions League. Madrid for a United record fee of £59.7 mil- reflects the huge strength of United as a glob- Woodward also played down the prospect lion, he has presided over a lower overall al commercial brand-won’t kick in until the of United bolstering their squad during the squad wage bill than did Moyes. start of the 2015/16 season. “There is the next transfer window in January amid con- United’s much-criticised debt, the bulk of unique power of the club to transcend the cerns that manager Louis van Gaal needs to which is a legacy of the club’s takeover by the industry,” said Woodward. — AFP improve his side’s defence in particular. Accounts published by United yesterday showed revenues for the three months end- ing September 30 at £88.7 million ($138.8 mil- lion, 110.9 million euros), a decrease of 9.9 percent. The fall in income could have been greater but the cost of missing out on European football has been partly offset by an increase in sponsorship money as well as a reduced wage bill at Old Trafford. United’s spending on employee benefits for the quarter fell by £3.5 million or 6.6 per- cent to £49.4 million, with a United statement saying this was “primarily to lower player wages”. Woodward said the mood at the club under Dutch boss van Gaal, brought in after United sacked former manager David Moyes, Christian Atsu of Ghana. was buoyant. “There’s a real feeling that we as a club are at the start of something special,” said Woodward in a conference call to Premier League TV rights investors. Following a break for international matches, the English Premier League resumes sale under investigation this weekend with United in seventh position- three places but just two points away from LONDON: English Premier League fans at fans, in particular attending 3 p.m. kick- the top-four finish required to qualify for the home could have access to as many offs on Saturdays,” the regulator said in a Champions League. Adnan Hamad matches live on television as audiences statement. “The investigation will take abroad after an investigation was this into account and Ofcom plans to NO SHORT-TERM FIXES launched by Britain’s broadcasting approach the Football Supporters’ Woodward said there would be no panic Bahrain sack coach Hamad watchdog yesterday. Most games kick off Federation and certain other supporters’ buying in January but added United were at 3 p.m. on Saturdays but are available groups to understand their views.” eyeing bringing in new players after the end after poor start to Gulf Cup only to international rights holders so The Ofcom investigation could delay of the season. fans aren’t discouraged from going to the start of the auction for the next “We are not looking to enter the market for RIYADH: Bahrain are looking for a new Football Association said in statement. “The stadiums. With four professional leagues three-year rights packages, although the short-term fixes,” explained Woodward. coach for the second time in just over four Bahrain Football Association has released in England, featuring 92 clubs, watchdog Premier League insists its process is com- months after Iraqi Adnan Hamad was the national team’s coach Adnan Hamad Ofcom said it will consult with fans patible with British and European com- “However we have targets we are looking at sacked in the wake of the country’s poor and assigned national assistant coach before ordering any overhaul of televi- petition law. Away from Britain, only for next summer and should any of those start to the Gulf Cup on Monday. Marjan Eid to lead the team for the rest of sion rights. Austria and Montenegro in Europe have become available in January we would con- The investigation was launched after a blackout windows when no live football sider acting but we all need to recognise that Hamad had been expected to guide the the tournament.” Bahrain, whose best result complaint from Virgin Media, which is can be shown, UEFA says on its website. is a low probability.” team into next January’s Asian Cup after at an Asian Cup was a semi-final appear- owned by U.S. cable TV operator Liberty “Fans in the UK pay the highest prices United played two fewer matches in the replacing Anthony Hudson on a two-year ance in 2004 in China, face Iran, the United Global. Virgin Media said that, with only in Europe to watch the least amount of quarter reported on than in the correspon- deal when the Englishman quit suddenly in Arab Emirates and Qatar in first round 41 percent of matches shown live in football on TV,” Virgin Media chief execu- ding three months in 2013/14 — one late July to take charge of New Zealand. Group C in Australia next year. Hamad, Britain, customers end up paying more tive Tom Mockridge said in a statement. Champions League game and one English Bahrain drew their first Gulf Cup Group A Asia’s coach of the year in 2004 in one of for their subscriptions because there is “Now is the right time to look again at League Cup game-which led to a drop of £4.2 match against Yemen, however, before a 3- several spells in charge of his native Iraq, less competition. The domestic rights are the way live rights are sold to make foot- million (21.8 percent) in matchday income to 0 loss to hosts Saudi Arabia on Sunday left led Jordan to the quarter-finals of the 2011 held by Sky, whose largest shareholder is ball even more accessible.” The blackout £15.1 million. Broadcasting revenue was them needing a win against Qatar on Asian Cup in Qatar. Rupert Murdoch, and BT Sport. Their in Britain prevents games from abroad down £2.5million (13 percent) to £16.8 million Wednesday to have any chance of qualify- The 53-year-old also oversaw an impres- ing for the semi-finals. sive qualifying campaign for the 2014 World three-year deals, which cost a combined from being shown between 2:45 and with no TV money coming in from European “The Bahraini Football Association held Cup, in which the Jordanians beat Australia 3.018 billion pounds ($4.7 billion), end 5:15 p.m. on Saturdays, which led to the football governing body UEFA. an urgent meeting ... to discuss the Bahraini and Japan, but he turned down a contract after the 2015-16 season. “Ofcom under- first 15 minutes of the Real Madrid- The fall in wages at Old Trafford reflects stands that the scheduling of football Barcelona match last month also being national team’s poor performance and neg- extension before they bowed out to both that United are not having to pay players ative results in the Gulf Cup,” the Bahrain Uruguay in a playoff. — Reuters games is important to many football blocked for viewers. — AP Champions League bonuses as well as the