Has the IFA Shield lost its significance?

The IFA Shield is one of the oldest football tournaments in India and the world. 100 years ago, Mohun Bagan beat an English side in the IFA Shield, which was a matter of immense pride in India under British rule

Many an interesting battles involving the Kolkata giants and teams from outside India (Pkahtakhor, Pyong Yang etc) have made IFA Shield a premier domestic tournament in India as well as popular outside India

However, in recent times, the tournament has lost some of its sheen. The Governing body, the Indian Football Association (interestingly, who administers football only in West Bengal) have almost pushed the tournament to extinction. The rise of the Indian national League means the "trimukut" (3 crowns) - the Durand Cup, the Rovers Cup and the IFA Shield are not the most important tournaments anymore. In fact, the Federation Cup and National League are the only ways to play in Asia level tournaments

So, no wonder the sponsors shy away from tournaments like the IFA Shield. And the IFA has added to the problem by scheduling it towards the end of the season, when the only interest lies in how to complete the National League. Thus teams like Mohun Bagan and those from Goa stay away

Secondly, the venues - stadiums like the Howrah Stadium with small galleries and no amenities means the crowds hardly turn up. There was the Brazilian team Botafogo Fc which turned up as the "outside team", but their quality of football meant they were a disinterested, junior bunch who were sent just to get some exposure

The picture I clicked above shows the low turnout in the final of the tournament, where East Bengal, the local favorite played in front of an empty Salt Lake stadium. I talked with a few people, mostly hardcore East Bengal supporters, who had come because East Bengal were yet to win a trophy this season (they did win eventually, after a patchy, sub standard game of football from both sides)

If some serious soul searching is not done, the IFA Shield, with its rich heritage, will be in the football history books soon. In a subsequent post, will write about the slow demise of Indian football and the reasons

(all pictures clicked by author)