Confidence in AIFF's open-arm approach in rebuilding I-League

New Delhi [India], September 8 : The I-League Task Force Committee, comprising of its club owners and senior officials on Saturday, September 7, 2024, unanimously expressed their confidences in the leadership of All India Football Federation President Kalyan Chaubey in laying a foundation for inclusive growth to pave the way for a robust League structure for the future.
In a meeting chaired by AIFF President in Delhi, the Task Force Committee representatives, namely Pradhyum Reddy (Dempo SC), Shamsher Singh (Namdhari FC), Ranjit Bajaj (Delhi FC) and Kishore S Reddy (SC Bengaluru), present in-person at the Football House, hailed AIFF's efforts in allowing club's equal representation in formalising the league's strategy.
Saturday's meeting was a third-in-line, within the last 30 days in the run up to the start of the season in October.
"The AIFF has addressed all the I-League clubs' concerns and made significant progress in today's meeting," Uday Singh, Owner, Namdhari FC, said.
The clubs are confident that, with ongoing cooperation from AIFF, this year's edition will be the best in recent years. Discussions highlighted the crucial role of broadcasters for the league's survival.
Following this meeting, participants feel positive about securing I-League broadcasts. We extend our special thanks to the President for meeting with us in Delhi on a public holiday and request continued support and cooperation," as quoted by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) media release.
By mid-September, the I-League Task Force Committee will present its comprehensive reports and proposals for final planning on key factors comprising Venue Infrastructure, Broadcast specifications and budget, fixtures, and marketing.
Says Mr. Ranjit Bajaj, "For the first time, we feel the I-League belongs to the clubs as much as its' AIFFs'. There is a sense of ownership among us as well. We are aware that it's not an overnight job, but as a club owner and member of the Task Force Committee, I welcome the open-arm approach and transparency adopted by AIFF," as quoted by the AIFF media release.
Commenting on it, Kalyan Chaubey said, "I'm glad to see the I-League Task Force Committee's progress since last we met on 12 August. With the onset of current season, we are on a rebuilding exercise where active participation of each of the I-League club is paramount in redefining the future. We will take all corrective measures to ensure I-League is given the time and space to grow in the coming years."
Clubs present virtually in the meeting : Habamutlang Lyngdoh (Shillong Lajong FC), Aditya Barros Pereira (Churchill Brothers), KT Mahhe and Fabio Ferreira (Sreenidi Deccan FC), K.K. Tak and Kamal Kishore (Rajasthan United FC), Arshad Shawl (Real Kashmir FC), Hmingthana Zadeng (Aizawl FC), Bhaskar Basu and Prithiijit Das (Inter Kashi), VC Praveen (Gokulam Kerala FC) and AIFF Secretary General Anilkumar P., while Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan attended in-person, the media release added.