The Lions are likely to move out of the national capital and play their home matches from Bhubaneswar from the upcoming season….
Indian Super League (ISL) side Delhi Dynamos are all set to shift their base from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the national capital to Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium, Goal can confirm.
The two-time ISL semifinalists have taken this major decision due to several factors, one among which is the economic factor. The club feel the cost of operations can be lowered with this move. The club did look for alternative venues in Delhi but they could only find an agreement with the Government of Odisha.
There is a strong possibility that the club might change its name as well, as they are exploring the possibility of making this shift in venue permanent.
The decision was also influenced by the fact that Delhi Dynamos could not attract a sizeable crowd for its games at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. After seeing the success of clubs like Jamshedpur FC who have got the backing of the fans in small towns like Jamshedpur, Delhi Dynamos feels the move to Bhubaneswar will be fruitful.
The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar has been utilised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in the last couple of years for hosting several events of Indian football.
The first two editions of the Super Cup were held in Bhubaneswar. The India FA’s developmental side the Indian Arrows who take part in the I-League, played their home matches at the Kalinga Stadium last season.
Several women’s football events have also been hosted in the same venue in the last year. The inaugural edition of the Women’s Gold Cup organised by the AIFF was held in Bhubaneswar this year in February where teams like Myanmar, Nepal and Iran took part alongside hosts India.
Dynamos have struggled of late in the ISL, finishing out of the top six in the last two season. They did reach the last four stage on two occasions out of the first three seasons. But once the league was extended from a two-month affair, they saw a dip in attendance and in their performance as well.
The poor turnout throughout the season coupled with economic factors has now prompted the management to move out and play from Bhubaneswar. Meanwhile, Delhi as a city looks set to miss out on mainstream football with no teams operating from the city in either the ISL or the I-League after this move.
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