National Champions Set To Miss Out

League winners could be demoted next season

- John Duerden

National champions for the first time in their history, Aizawl from the north-east province of Mizoram ended the season top of the I-League. Their victory celebrations did not last long, however, as the club now finds itself excluded from the top tier of Indian football.

In a bid to unite the game in the world’s second most populous country, with over 1.2 billion people, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) plans to merge the I-League with the Indian Super League (ISL). And Aizawl can’t afford to take part.