1Sports channel is going to broadcast the 2021 I-league qualifiers from the 12th of October, Tuesday onwards. The league is currently taking place in Bengaluru. Right now, the matches are being live-streamed on their official Facebook page.
There are nine teams in total who are taking part in the competition for this edition. The teams have been divided into two groups and they will play in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will make it to the finale. They will also be played in a round-robin format which will be the deciding factor to which team gets a promotion to the desired Hero I-League.
A total of 26 matches will be played. Among these, 20 of them will be played in the group stage level and 6 of them will be played in the final round.
AIFF CEO thanked 1Sports for telecasting the I-league qualifiers. He added that although the high-quality videos are being brought live-streamed on their official Facebook page now the fans can enjoy the game on television as well.
Strict health protocols are being maintained for the I-League in Bangalore
The teams for this tournament has almost doubled from the past season, from five to nine. The players are accommodated in two different hotels, in the city, instead of one. The tests are also being conducted regularly( every five days) for all the members of every team. The hotel staff are servicing inside the bubble floors. Movements between two different floors have been restricted and team members can move in their restrictive floors during meals, training or team meeting. The team buses are sanitized before and after the arrival of the players. Every kind of precaution is taken to ensure the safety of the players.
While everyone is dealing with the pressure of following extreme health protocols, some are grateful for the bio-bubble
Shiv Kumar of ARA FC feels that staying in the quarantine with limited movement has given him less time to interconnect with the teammates. Sanju Pradhan of FC Bengaluru is having a hard time living in that bio-bubble. He stated “It is very difficult to play from inside the bio bubble. Staying inside a room for weeks and only going out to play, it increases pressure on players who are already under pressure to perform. It is difficult for any athlete.”
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