Date:02/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/02/stories/2008100262022600.htm

Sport - Football

Top divisions to be merged in CFL

KOLKATA: The Calcutta Football League (CFL)’s premier division will be having a longer format from the next season.

The governing body of the sport in the state — Indian Football Association (IFA) — decided to merge the two top divisions — premier and super divisions — to form a larger pool of teams which will contest for the title in the 108-year-old tournament. In the new format, there will be 17 teams and they will play the domestic circuit over a six-month period.

The IFA acted on the suggestions of the Asian Football Confederation, which has been urging that the country’s premier inter-club tournament, I-League, be given a bigger layout with more teams and longer span of action.

The IFA also decided to share with the participating teams a greater part of its revenue earned from selling the telecasting rights of the tournament.