Glitzy Indian League Leaves FANS Underwhelmed
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 Premier League,” 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 Alessandro Del Piero glumly watched his team sports management giant IMG and the Reliance the Indians.” Brazilian great Zico also urged the ISL to world football.
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