By Shoubhik Mukhopadhyay
Hero I-League Media
NEW DELHI: While the premier football clubs are on course to clinch the coveted Hero I-League trophy, others are gearing up to book a berth in next season’s Hero I-League. Come this Saturday, Second Division League final round kicks off with Gangtok Himalayan SC hosting Dempo SC at the Paljor Stadium.
Dempo SC will travel to Sikkim to take on Gangtok Himalayan SC in the Final round opener on 26th March. Mohammedan Sporting Club will host Lonestar Kashmir FC on the following day at the Mohun Bagan ground. The last match of Game week one will see another encounter between the Eastern and the Western zones when Neroca FC clash with Minerva Academy FC at the Khuman Lampak Stadium on 29th March.
Undoubtedly the nomenclature in the final round, where three debutants will engage in the final combat with three veterans, would be captivating. Teams would come up with shrewd strategies and astute game plans to win the Second Division League.
Mohammedan Sporting Club (West Bengal), Gangtok Himalayan SC (Sikkim) and Neroca FC (Manipur) have qualified from the Eastern Conference whereas Minerva Academy FC (Chandigarh), Dempo SC (Goa) and Lonestar Kashmir FC (Jammu & Kashmir) have cemented their berths in the final round from the Western Conference.
Sunando Dhar, CEO, I-League, wished luck to the six clubs who have pulled up their socks to cement their berth in the Hero I-League 2016-17, “We have seen an intriguing battle in the first round and all three debutants (Gangtok Himalayans SC, Neroca FC, Minerva Academy FC) proved their mettle. I’m sure that the final round will also come up with an enthralling brand of football where these debutants will rub their shoulders with the experienced ones in the likes of Mohammedan SC, Dempo SC, and LoneStar Kashmir FC. I, on the behalf of AIFF, would like to wish them all the very best before the final round kicks off on 26th March.”
