The Odisha owner is concerned about the lack of football action for the country’s young footballers due to the ongoing pandemic…
The year 2020 has been difficult for football due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
On-field action came to a halt in March and India, like many other countries, entered a lockdown. After several months without football, the I-League qualifiers were held with COVID-19 safety protocols in place.
The Indian Super League (ISL) season is also set to follow, with the seventh season kicking off on November 20. The teams are currently in a bio-bubble in Goa getting ready for what is set to be a challenging season.
The 2020-21 season was supposed to be the first full year for Odisha at their home stadium in Bhubaneswar. The supporters would have been looking forward to starting a new season at their stadium but unfortunately, the pandemic means they have to wait.
“It is not easy, it is never going to simple,” club owner Rohan Sharma told Goal. “You are always going to be worried about what may happen to your team. This year was supposed to the first year where we would have had the full year in Odisha. That is the hardest part.”
He added, “The biggest black mark about the season is the fact that the youth programs are going to be really quiet. A whole year without kids playing football is bad not just for Odisha but for Indian football.”
Rohan feels that the lack of opportunities for commercial activations and stunted growth of young footballers whose participation in youth leagues are in doubt are the most concerning factors amid the pandemic.
“The commercial aspect is different this year, nobody is in their hometown (except FC Goa). (Lack of) development of football players (at the grassroots) for a whole year, that is concerning. The hardest part is commercial and grassroots. It has been a chaotic rollercoaster,” he said.
However, there are still positives to look forward to. The Odisha owner expects the seventh edition of ISL to pave way for the most exciting season yet.
“I think this year might be the most exciting year because of the chaos, you don’t know what is going to happen. I don’t think there is a weak team this season. The skill levels are not that far off.
“Having East Bengal and Mohun Bagan (also) in ISL does add more excitement to the league.”
Odisha FC, who were formerly Delhi Dynamos before a rebranding and a relocation to Bhubaneswar, finished sixth on the table last season with 25 points from 18 matches. They have retained their core group of Indian players this season and have brought in experienced foreigners such as Steven Taylor and Marcelinho in their pursuit of the playoffs.
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