What’s the story?
As Mohun Bagan scraped past Minerva Punjab in today’s late I-League fixture, the floodlights were found to be below the standard required for the staging of matches. Twice during the match — first, at kick-off, and second, at the 50-minute mark of the second half — one of the floodlights at the Guru Nanak Stadium went off.
With Bagan in a precarious position after Aizawl FC won their match earlier today, these technical issues were an unwanted problem for Sanjoy Sen’s men. Luckily, they went on to win the game with the help of their magician, Sony Norde.
The context
With only a handful of this season’s games remaining, both Bagan and Aizawl are locked in a battle for the title. Aizawl beat Churchill Brothers 3–1 in Goa and went ahead of Bagan on the table. This meant the Mariners from Bengal had to win in Ludhiana to prevent ceding the advantage to Aizawl.
That, coupled with the stadium blackouts, contributed to an anxious game of football for the 2014–15 champions. The game itself was a cagey affair with both teams unable to create good openings. In the end, Norde’s offside trap-beating run set up the winner, finished by the Haitian himself.
The heart of the matter
With the hype and glitter that has entered Indian football’s landscape following the advent of ISL, the I-League has had to settle for sub-par treatment compared to its younger sibling. An issue with floodlights, clearly a matchday-related one, shows some level of incompetence in the organisation of the league.
As far as the pitch at the Guru Nanak Stadium is concerned, more needs to be done with regard to creating football infrastructure in the country. With pitches that have uneven bounce and divots everywhere, teams will pick the easiest way to goal and hence coaches prefer the long ball game more. Dinosaur concepts, along with unprofessional staging, aren’t helping Indian football.
What’s next?
It is still unclear whether the I-League will remain in its current guise in the near future. How does it make sense for all to watch an IPL or an ISL match without any interruption due to technical issues while I-League matches are plagued with daft problems and amateurish coverage?
Bagan were already furious pre-match after the timing of their training session on Friday was moved forward from evening to afternoon. Another setback in the form of dropping points would have seen Sen’s anger reaching a tipping point. At least he will now sleep well tonight after his team’s hard-earned win.
Author’s Take
Floodlight issues in today’s age confirm the sorry state I-League football is in. A revamp of the league is necessary, now that Indian football is starting to make the right noises. Strike while the iron is hot is something that the men at the helm of Indian football must follow.
