New Delhi: Football clubs Sudeva FC from Delhi and Sreenidhi FC from Visakhapatnam were on Wednesday granted direct entry to the I-League.
The members of the bid committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and representatives of Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) met over a video conference to discuss the clarifications which were sought in the previous meeting on July 31 from the three prospective clubs -- Sudeva (Delhi), Sreenidhi (Visakhapatnam) and Ryntih (Shillong) -- for participation in the I-league 2020-21.
After scrutinising the clarifications, the committee after consultation with PwC decided to grant playing rights to Sudeva in the forthcoming I-League 2020-21. The committee also granted playing rights to Sreenidhi in the I-League from 2021-22 onwards, a statement said.
"I on the behalf of AIFF welcome Sudeva to the Hero I-League family. I wish them all the best and look forward to a competitive league," League Committee Chairman Subrata Dutta told www.the-aiff.com.
"I would also like to congratulate and welcome Sreenidhi from the 2021-22 edition of the Hero I-League. With Sudeva FC joining the fray, we now have 12 teams competing in the next Hero I-League. Most significantly, we now have representation from the Capital," Dutta added.
"Both the clubs have been contributing to the youth football development in a big way for some years," League Committee Chairman Subrata Dutta said.
General Secretary Kushal Das mentioned how the introduction of teams from new cities falls in line with the AIFF's Strategic Plan to broad base the game and move forward together with all stakeholders.
"Welcome Sudeva to the I-League family. We have been working to get teams from different regions and cities to reach out to newer fans and provide the I-league more pan-Indian presence, which is in line with the AIFF Strategic Plan. Good luck," Das stated.
