ATK Mohun Bagan have had their second consecutive ISL match suspended due to cases of coronavirus in their squad. Their game against Bengaluru FC being postponed has led to a degree of unrest amongst fellow players and fans.
Earlier, the ISL had declared that they would go ahead with the game if a team could field a squad of 15 players in a game. But they have gone back on their word, instead suspending the Mariners’ game.
Should the ISL be postponed altogether?
“Players are losing interest and the desire to continue competing. They continue to play to collect their contracts without any ambition. This is what has been achieved with this year’s rules. Whether you like it or not, all the people inside the bio-bubble just want March to come and the league to end, whatever the outcome.”
“Yesterday we played the game with nine casualties due to Covid cases. Today for the second consecutive match, another team suspends its game for the same reason. Can someone explain that to me? Adulterated competition,” said FC Goa player Edu Bedia.
While some teams are being forced to compete, others are being given the opportunity to play them later. Clearly, there is a double standard being followed in the league even though they claim that they want to make the competition fair.
The ISL could benefit from postponing the competition for 1-2 weeks, and allowing isolation time for the players and coaching staff to recover before continuing. But that doesn’t guarantee the elimination of coronavirus cases from the bio bubble.
The highly contagious nature of the Omicron variant might also worsen with time, which would threaten the safety of the players. From Edu Bedia’s post, it is clear that there is a severe lack of morale amongst players. Should the tournament be postponed to a later date, it is certain to harm the mental well-being of the players as well.
Continuing the ISL fixtures as declared would require the league to follow a set standard for all teams, which isn’t happening right now.
