The Formation of Indian Super League (ISL)
Football in India seems to have seen a lot of growth in recent years, as opposed to when it was first played in the country during the 19th Century in the nationwide club competition, the Durand Cup. Despite an early introduction to the sport, Football was less known and exposed to the population when compared to the likes of Cricket or Hockey. The introduction to the country’s first nationwide football League did not begin until the semi-professional National Football League, which commenced in the year 1996 prior to this creation of the National Football League, the majority of the clubs participated only in State Leagues and selective nationwide tournaments. After repeated efforts to grow the game through multiple platforms and different leagues, the All India Football Federation launched on 21st October 2013 Indian Super League.
The Indian Super League or ISL is a professional football League of the highest level in the Indian Football System. The ISL, during its formation, consisted of 8 clubs which were the selected cities/states of Bangalore, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. Multiple Bollywood celebrities and renowned business owners participated in the bidding war for these teams, one of them being the La Liga giants Atletico Madrid. The number of clubs would then increase to 11 as the ISL saw massive recognition over the years. The new additions seen were the cities/states of Chennai, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur and Odisha. Pune City was disbanded from the League in late 2019. The league, since it began in 2014, has seen a variety of stadiums host matches. The Fatorda Stadium in Goa and the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata were primarily used to host these matches.
The ISL has witnessed heavy viewers and support from the population in recent times. As Star Sports, one of the organizers of the Indian Super League started serving as the official broadcaster of the league in India, the number of viewers and attendees for the matches saw a large spike. Although the sport still struggles in the country in terms of professional training and level of expertise, the ISL has brought a major movement of players, scouts and teams to the playground and has lifted Indian Football to new heights. The teams participating in the competition have taken upon themselves a duty to improve grassroots football in the country in their respective regions through various camps, academies and training grounds. It is clear that the ISL has put Indian Football on the map. It has done this with high profile imports and strategic partnerships with Spanish, German and other world-renowned clubs. The football fans have taken a liking towards this League, and because of this, it has created higher standards of performance and an overall entertaining spectacle.
Prodigy Experience also aims to develop and lift Indian Football with the opportunity to train young and spirited Footballers in the European way with UEFA Pro Coaches and the best training facilities and methodologies. With the sport growing in India every single day, Prodigy Experience offers the population a chance to develop their skills, level of training, personality and mentality that is needed to succeed on and off the field. With connections to La Liga clubs like FC Barcelona, RCD Espanyol, Villareal and a network of professional scouts, Prodigy Experience aims to ease the way into making a career in the sport for these prodigies.
