ISL Inaugural Pays Homage To 1948 Indian Olympics Football Team

KOLKATA: Excited at the inauguration of the Indian Super League (ISL) here, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hoped the tournament will establish Indian football on the world map.

"I must compliment the ISL organisers for developing the game which will benefit people at the grassroots. I am hopeful that this will take Indian football to the world map. It’s a great step for Indian football," Banerjee said at the opening ceremony here of the two-month-long football tournament that has a host of international stars in fray.

With an amalgamation of Bollywood, cricket and international football icons, the ISL kicked off at the Salt Lake Stadium with city franchise Atletico de Kolkata taking on Mumbai City FC in the opening game.

All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel too said ISL will give the desired boost to Indian football.

“With so many international players participating, ISL will certainly give a boost Indian football. It’s just a beginning but I am happy that we are the only country to which FIFA has given the permission to host a tournament like this,” Patel told mediapersons.

Meanwhile, the city was abuzz with the who’s who of Bollywood and cricket descending to be part of the glitzy ceremony.

Besides cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar along with spinner Harbhajan Singh, Bollywood A-listers like Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham, Parineeti Chopra, Varun Dhawan, Ranbir Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan and Nargis Fakhri were present at the event.

The opening ceremony of the inaugural Indian Super league (ISL) paid homage to the country's football team that participated in the 1948 London Olympics, playing barefoot against their opponents who wore football boots.

The team, coached by Balaidas Chatterjee, lost narrowly to France 1-2 in the first round at the Lynn Road Stadium, Ilford.

The ISL was declared open by ISL promoter and businesswoman Nita Ambani, flanked by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel, ISL promoter and businesswoman Nita Ambani, and Sanjiv Goenka, co-owner of ISL franchise Atletico de Kolkata, in a colourful ceremony that had actor Priyanka Chopra regaling the audience with her energetic performance.

The ceremony had a huge Bollywwod presence with Amitabh Bachchan along with co-owners of different franchises - Ranbir Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Hrithik Roshan - along with joint-owners Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly from the cricket world.

Hosts Atletico de Kolkata took on Mumbai City FC at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata in the inaugural match of the tournament.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa Sunday congratulated AIFF chief Praful Patel on the launch of the Indian Super League (ISL) and hoped the franchise-based tournament, will increase the popularity of the sport in the country.

The AFC president also conveyed his best wishes for the tournament in the letter sent to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) chief.

"I would like to congratulate you on the launch of the new league. I am confident that this eight-team competition with a total of 61 matches will increase the popularity of the sport in India and will create a strong fan base for Indian domestic football," the AFC chief wrote in the letter.

Conveying his optimism for the competition, he expected the clubs to help bolster the national football team by nurturing talent and providing them opportunity to showcase their potential.

"The knowledge and experience gained from this competition will also help the clubs in raising their profile and will strengthen the national team in future. I would like to wish all the eight teams the very best and wishing you all the success for this new venture," he said.

Hosts Atletico de Kolkata take on Mumbai City FC at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata Sunday in the inaugural match of the tournament.

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