JSW Sports CEO Mustafa Ghouse gives his thoughts on the future of Indian football
JSW Sports owns one of the most successful Indian football clubs: Bengaluru FC. The Karnataka-based club had won the Indian Super League title in 2018-19 and finished in the third position last year.
Ever since the inception of the ISL, there have been many changes in the Indian football structure. There has even been a merger between the Indian Super League and the I-League.
In an exclusive chat on Sportskeeda's Facebook page, JSW Sports CEO Mustafa Ghouse spoke about the changes taking place in Indian football and how they will help take the sport to the next level.
Mustafa Ghouse believes Indian football is getting more engaging and competitive
When asked about his opinion on the growth of Indian football over the last few years, Mustafa Ghouse replied:
"We've always been very bullish on football from the I-League days, and we are very happy with the way it has progressed. You know, we've transitioned into the ISL, and we've seen a lot of traction and a lot of growth in popularity of the sport, the popularity of the league. From our perspective, we would like to see the sport grow, which would help in growing the popularity of the team, the popularity of the league."
He added:
"All in all, from our perspective, we are seeing a lot more younger talented players coming into the league from all over the world. We have seen high-quality coaches coming into the league in their prime, not that they are looking at it as their post-retirement plan. So, it's a lot more competitive and engaging."
The Indian football season will resume soon, with the Indian Super League (ISL) set to kick off from November. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the entire tournament will take place in Goa.
All players will have to stay inside a secure bio-bubble. Mustafa Ghouse himself was a part of the IPL 2020 bubble in the UAE recently, and he stated that the new measures would be challenging for all players competing in the ISL this year.