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NEW DELHI - India formally launched their professional soccer league today with the objective of reviving the sport's domestic appeal.
The Indian Professional League, or I-League, will kick off on Saturday with 10 teams playing on a home-and-away basis. It will be expanded to 16 in the next three years.
"It is the beginning of a new journey we have undertaken to recapture the lost glory of football in India," All India Football Federation (AIFF) president PR Dasmunsi said.
"With a very strong and ambitious lineup in the respective clubs and the various incentives which are being provided to the clubs, we expect this year's event to be a big draw."
The I-League will replace a semi-professional league which has run since 1996 after both the Asian and world soccer bodies persuaded the federation to cash in on India's booming economy.
The federation has roped in sponsors and tied up with India's Zee Sports to market and telecast the games and scheduled many games in the evening to increase viewership.
Dasmunshi said it would take a while for full professionalism to sink in, particularly because hardly any Indian club had its own stadium or the organisational structure for marketing.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has dubbed India a "sleeping giant" in the game. Millions become soccer converts during the World Cup or European championship and thousands watch major European leagues on television every weekend.
- REUTERS