World Cup Fever Fuels Indian Football — ISL Season Kicks Off 4 September

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Club chiefs hope that a revitalised setup can help huge interest in this summer’s tournament translate into growth of the Indian domestic game

India was not at the World Cup, but the tournament drew huge interest from within the country . This has happened before but now comes with significant, and necessary, changes in the domestic game that could transform a quadrennial passion into perennial interest.

After more than a year of negative headlines regarding the Indian Super League, the country’s top tier will kick off on 4 September. “The timing couldn’t be better,” says Ravi Puskur, chief executive of the ISL’s FC Goa who last season won the Super Cup, India’s top knockout competition. “A World Cup that was not ideal in terms of viewing times has drawn strong interest and support from the Indian market. It does something a domestic league alone can’t do; it puts football at the centre of the conversation.”

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