Game-changer Indian Super League off to glittering start
The opening ceremony included throbbing Bollywood music, dancers and a large fireworks display, watched by celebrities, politicians and sports stars. Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal of which Kolkata is the capital, was front row,- The top four will enter the two-legged semifinals and the winners will take home '8 crore. A private sports channel will telecast all the matches live. (Photo: AP)
- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee speaks as Nita Ambani, Praful Patel and Sanjib Goyanka look on. (Photo: AP)
- Former Indian cricket team captain and co-owner of Atletico de Kolkata Sourav Ganguly and bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra (Photo: AP)
- Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan during the inauguration ceremony of Indian Super League 2014 in Kolkata (Photo: AP)
- Bollywood actors, Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra are present at the inauguration ceremony of Indian Super League 2014 in Kolkata on Sunday. Actors Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham are also seen.
- A brainchild of IMG and Reliance, the ISL will be played at home and away by franchisees based in Kolkata, Guwahati, Chennai, Kochi, Goa, Pune, Mumbai and New Delhi (Photo: AP)
- Priyanka Chopra performs during the opening ceremony of Indian Super League 2014 in Kolkata on Sunday.
- Despite its burgeoning population, India is ranked 158 in world football and the domestic league is struggling to attract eyeballs (Photo: AP)
- The ISL took off on Sunday evening with many Bollywood stars gracing the historic occasion that marks the entry of football in India in full swing (Photo: Twitter)
- The eight-team Indian Super League (ISL), modelled on cricket’s IPL, is football’s last-ditch bid to capture the imagination of the masses and sponsors. (Photo: Twitter)
- Actor Hrithik Roshan playfully sways his good friend Priyanka Chopra in his arms at the opening ISL ceremony.
- Reid, however, was optimistic about the future. "There's room enough for two brilliant sports in this sports-mad country," he said ahead of the match.
- On a visit to India in 2007, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said India was the "sleeping giant" of world football. But its national side languishes at 158 in the world rankings, which experts blame on sports authorities' failure to develop training
- "We didn't deserve it, it happens in football," the former Sunderland and Manchester City boss said. Experts say the ambitious ISL faces an uphill battle to convert India's cricket-mad population and develop the country's existing pockets of passion
- Mumbai were also missing Anelka, 35, as he serves a ban for a controversial "quenelle" goal celebration in late 2013, which also got him the sack from West Bromwich Albion. He has denied the gesture was racist. Mumbai manager Peter Reid said he had
- The two coaches had pledged to "deliver the goods" for the opener even though Mumbai were missing their star players. Ex-Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg of Sweden, the 37-year-old poster boy for Mumbai, was ruled out with a calf injury.
- Sports Ministry tells athletes to be available for national duty for availing grants (Photo: DC)
- Some 70,000 tickets were sold for the match, according to organisers, but pockets of the stadium were empty. S. Bardhan, a soldier stationed at Kolkata airport, said he "loved football" although this was the first time he had ever seen a match live.
The opening ceremony included throbbing Bollywood music, dancers and a large fireworks display, watched by celebrities, politicians and sports stars. Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal of which Kolkata is the capital, was front row,
Game-changer Indian Super League off to glittering start
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