This new league in Mumbai is bringing alive nascent passion for football among sports lovers

Players at a women’s open game

A whistle goes off, and suddenly there is electricity all around. Players crowd around the referee, as he pulls out a yellow card. The foul is hotly contested, with the audience joining in - cheering and criticising the call. "That's football, isn't it?" says Denver Fonseca, founder of the city's new Mumbai Rink Football League while overseeing the technical bench. We are watching a game of the ongoing Mumbai Rink Football League at Wings Sports Centre in Bandra. Having begun on May 7, the league will hold regular five-a-side matches amongst city teams every night till the finals on May 28.

A frequent player on Mumbai grounds in his youth, the 39-year-old is more than familiar with the once hidden tradition of turf football in the city. "It was mostly played around school grounds and church compounds. These were on tar mats - rough and not easy," Fonseca admits. But the last decade has witnessed an explosion of close to 200 turf facilities across the city. He found a willing partner in co-founder, and another veteran of Mumbai's turf, Myrin D'mello to start a league that unites the disparate clubs across the city.

Spectators cheer on the sidelines of the rink. Pics/Aishwarya Deodhar

"We came up with the idea in 2019," Fonseca reveals. But the pandemic came in the way. The duo persisted, and in January this year they signed up Mumbai football stalwarts Godfrey Pereira and Steven Dias as league ambassadors and brought in the Mumbai Football Association (MFA) on board
the league.

In the course of our chat, Hope United Mira Road go down to four men and battle it out to keep up a two-goal difference against Millat FC from Andheri, and soon, we get the gist of the league's concept. "The idea was to borrow the structure of the Indian Premier League (IPL) [in terms of ownership and recruitment] and the passion of the English Premier League," Fonseca explains.

A player heads the ball away to defend his goal during a match

Neighbourhood rivalries can be intense. Any fan of football would know of the battles between the two sides of Manchester or the rivalry between Inter and AC Milan in Italy.

The founders admit that initially they had plans of hosting similar games with home and away formats. "But we could not find enough venues in all neighbourhoods," Fonseca says.

We notice a fairly engaged crowd of youngsters calling out fouls and suggesting passes. At a duration of 30 minutes, the matches are shorter and move at brisk pace. There are no long injury time-outs, wasted time at corner kicks or frequent substitutions. "This keeps the game gripping and even challenging," Fonseca points out.

Chelsea fan D'mello adds, "Mumbai has a football tradition that is not often highlighted. There is a passion among youngsters who understand both the beauty and commercial possibilities of the game." The tournament is offering cash prizes that round up to R12,50,000 for the six finalists of the three categories - men's open, women's open and veterans. It is quite a high sum for a five-a-side tournament. For now, Fonseca and D'mello are investing by themselves in the intellectual property.

It has certainly caught the attention of teams often struggling to find space or commercial returns. "The prize also enables players to take the game seriously, while allowing them to be noticed," Fonseca adds. Several teams from the MFA have already scouted players for their 11-a-side league, the founders tell us.

There are other challenges, though. The women's league has drawn only ten teams, compared to 16 in the men's group. "We are hoping that this number will change as the league grows," Fonseca shares. This has not reduced competitiveness. But the overall response has been exciting. While they planned to make it an annual tournament, the demand has sparked thoughts of turning it into a biannual tradition.

The tournament will enter its final legs today, with the start of the quarter-finals. "Sunday will witness six finals, as well as a possible exhibition match featuring some special players," Fonseca reveals.

Till May 28; 7 pm to 11 pm
At Wings Sports Centre, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra West.
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