If there is a sport which is played widely on the face of the Earth, then, it is surely Football. It has been telecasted and commercialised heavily over the years. With more than 15 major football leagues in different countries around the world, the sport has raked in a lot of money – both for the players and the investors.
For the longest time, however, India with a population of more than a billion people had no sign of high competition and well broadcasted domestic league. But things changed in the year 2013 when the All India Football Federation in association with the Reliance and IMG launched the Indian Super League ( Now known as the Hero Indian Super League due to a title partnership with Hero Motorcorp.)
With 8 teams representing different states and/or zones of the country, ISL was set to become the top tier league for football in India. The cherry on top was the interest shown by multiple stars and celebrities through investing heavily in the sport. They became the owners and co-owners of different teams, sparking more interest for televised football among the masses. From Bollywood biggies like John Abraham and Hrithik Roshan to famed sportspersons like Sourav Ganguly and Virat Kohli, everyone came together to support the sport and the league.
Bengaluru, in the Year 2018, at the AFC cup, took part in the first ISL club in the Asian club competition. The club qualified by virtue of being the Federation Cup Champions from the previous season. On 17 March 2018, Chennaiyin became the first club to qualify for the AFC Cup via becoming the Indian Super League Champions after they defeated Bengaluru in the finals.
Over the few years of its existence, ISL has served as more than just an entertaining football tournament. It has given many Indian and foreign players a platform to hone and showcase their skills on such a huge platform. It has also helped in the development and up liftment of the sport of football itself, which now in the years to come seems to have a very bright future in India.
