IFA wants to host I-League Second Division in Kalyani, gets green signal from West Bengal Government
IFA secretary Joydeep Mukherjee had met West Bengal sports minister Arup Biswas on Monday...
The Indian Football Association (IFA) held a meeting with the West Bengal state government on Monday to discuss the possibility of hosting the remainder of the 2019-20 I-League Second Division in the state.
IFA general secretary Joydeep Mukherjee along with representatives from Mohammedan Sporting and Bhowanipore FC, the two local clubs in Second Division, met the West Bengal Sports Minister Arup Biswas.
The IFA secretary told Goal that they have received the green signal from the state government and if the central government permits sporting activities to happen in September, West Bengal will be ready to host the final stages of the Second Division.
“We had a very positive discussion. The West Bengal government is always there to back football in the state. If the Central Government permits sporting activities to resume from September, they have no problem in hosting tournaments,” said Mukherjee.
Joydeep Mukherjee further stated that they have already written to the All India Football Federation and informed them about the state association’s wish of hosting the Second Division league. The IFA has also picked Kalyani as the possible venue to host the matches.
“We have informed the All India Football Federation (AIFF) about our intention (to host the competition). Two out of the five clubs are from West Bengal so there is no reason why it should not be held here.
“We are planning to host the Second Division in Kalyani. The ground is ready, practice grounds are available and there are enough hotels in Kalyani. Most importantly the number of Covid-19 cases is very less in Kalyani compared to other places. So when we consider the issue of safety, then also Kalyani is the best option.”
Karnataka State Football Association had also shown interest in hosting the Second Division League in Bengaluru but now it looks like IFA is the frontrunner.
Six teams were supposed to take part in the final stage of the league but FC Kerala recently withdrew citing financial constraints due to the Covid-19 pandemic.