Mohammedan Sporting were given the I-League yesterday title for their incredible performance this season. The Black Panthers only lost two games and earned 54 points from 24 games to earn promotion to the ISL. This is the first time in over ten years that the historic club has been promoted to the first tier, and considering their performance, it’ll be interesting to see whether they can replicate it in the top flight.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey congratulated the Kolkata-based side for their achievement, and acknowledged the positive impact Mohammedan Sporting’s promotion could have on the football landscape in India.
Kalyan Chaubey speaks on promotions after Mohammedan Sporting’s I-League title win
“Mohammedan Sporting’s promotion to the ISL on the virtue of becoming the I-League 2023–24 Champions is a big positive for Indian football. This is a club older than FIFA. Given their dedicated brand of fans across the country, Mohammedan Sporting’s entry in the ISL will certainly do good for India’s top league and will bring more spectators to the ground,” the AIFF President said.
Chaubey also said that relegation will need some time to be implemented in the Indian football pyramid considering there are only 13 teams in the top flight now. Moreover, the gap in quality of ISL and I-League clubs also poses a significant problem, which should be solved in the coming years as the pyramid develops further.