The I-League just won’t die out. Despite the best efforts of every stakeholder, the All India Football Federation included, to muzzle, strangle and choke the life out of it’s most organic product, the I-League just keeps punching forced retirement in the face.

The latest in a long line of injustices to a league that’s produced not one, not two, but arguably five exciting seasons on the trot, was that Star Sports, the official broadcaster decided to pull the plug from half of this season’s remaining matches.

It was bad enough that Star’s broadcast quality of the I-League forced clubs to write in to the AIFF. This announcement, coming days after that, is surprising given that it comes just days after the Kolkata Derby generated so much frenzy and fanfare online.

While Star’s treatment of Indian football’s biggest local game was below par, the coverage of defending champions Minerva Punjab versus league leaders Chennai City was truly shocking – a level of broadcast quality many termed as having been shot by a mobile.

As one Twitterati rightly asked, the Real Kashmir and Aizawl story shows that the romance of Indian football and football by it’s very nature lies in its heartlands – the minnows in the corners and edges of this very country. That there are no takers for this romance is truly debatable.

👀Star Sports to roll back @ILeagueOfficial live coverage. pic.twitter.com/9TDf1PXmza — Footiepedia - Indian Football (@IndFootiepedia) December 22, 2018

Single handedly destroying grassroots football - FSDL & @StarSportsIndia together had the strategy to first not let anyone buy the rights to @ILeagueOfficial then midseason abandon all the teams by leaving them and their sponsors in lurch by cancelling telecast of over 30 matches — Ranjit Bajaj (@THE_RanjitBajaj) December 22, 2018

Arre @StarFootball, mobile phone waala broadcast (like vs CCFC) hee kar do yaar. Vahi dekh lenge hum! https://t.co/4gZAzv6MH4 — Akarsh Sharma (@Akarsh_Official) December 22, 2018

FSDL and @StarFootball might have chosen to turn a blind eye towards @ILeagueOfficial , but the teams have taken on themselves to prove the haters wrong. What a season we have in the offing. #HeroILeague #Indianfootball — Injury Time (@InjuryTimeInd) December 22, 2018

It's days like these when I feel helpless at the state of Indian football. I just sit back on a chair and sulk away. #FSDL and @StarFootball just don't care

Home of Indian football my arse! #IndianFootball — Raghav (@Raghav1210_BS) December 22, 2018

@StarSportsIndia if you have a dedicated stars sports 3 channel for Indian football why scale back on telecasting @ILeagueOfficial ???? — Ajith Harish (@ajithharish37) December 22, 2018

Shame that @ILeagueOfficial the most interesting league in Asia for the least two years and also but the looks of it this year too .... is being systematically killled by @StarSportsIndia and FSDL .... and all the money is being spent on ISL ( recognised as a cup ) — Ranjit Bajaj (@THE_RanjitBajaj) December 22, 2018

Few bits about how #HeroILeague is shaping up. (H/t @Akarsh_Official)

1. Real Kashmir 1 point behind leaders Chennai City.

2. East Bengal can go level on top with a win.

3. Six points separate the top 7.



And then you hear of a reduced coverage.



THIS IS A SHAME!!! 😣 https://t.co/MJNJYx9DBC — Naveen Peter (@peterspeaking) December 22, 2018

ISL: Game everyday, all primetime, all live broadcast.



I-League: Scattered scheduling, games in the day, only 80 of 110 games live broadcast. Just 30 in two months.



Fantastic stuff, AIFF / @StarSportsIndia. https://t.co/ceIdUFHIJV — Tanuj Lakhina (@tanujlakhina) December 22, 2018

You think you've seen it all, step-motherly treatment and all that towards the @ILeagueOfficial, but now this is just cheap. How will #IndianFootball grow in this pseudo-poisonous ecosystem? — Sandeep Menon (@SandeepMenonTOI) December 22, 2018

I had a FSDL official moaning about the lack of coverage for #IndianFootball at the kit launch on Wednesday. Maybe I am guilty, but I wish he'd stuck to his words at least https://t.co/30zDhgSGAu — Mihir Vasavda (@mihirsv) December 22, 2018

Its time for leaders like @chetrisunil11 to step up & point out the injustice that continues with @ILeagueOfficial teams. From the non selection of players from this league 2 the blatant attempt 2 disregard their strong fanbases, this is the biggest disservice to #IndianFootball https://t.co/nGvnOUh4DL — Anirban Datta-Roy (@clixbyman) December 22, 2018

It’s a tragic situation indeed, if there was 1 piece of advice I would give to upcoming clubs, it would be to CUT YOUR LOSSES NOW AND GET OUT BEFORE YOU ARE SUCKED IN!#RunDontWalkAway #IndianFootball #NoCountryForFootball https://t.co/FjfGMtLZk1 — Henna Singh (@Hennasing) December 22, 2018

@IndianFootball asking for corporates to invest in June every year for direct entry into @ILeagueOfficial and then mid-season sabotaging their own top division to please their illegitimate masters, in the process spiting their corporate sponsors. Way to run the FA. https://t.co/cNELDO0LEh — Kuch Bhi (@muchacojones) December 22, 2018