The All India football Federation (AIFF) gave its go ahead to the IPL-style IMG-Reliance league with its executive committee agreeing to the holding of the tournament by its commercial partners IMG-Reliance early next year.
The cricket icon is a co-owner of the Chennai franchise, one of the new teams added to the sport league
Midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh ended Sunil Chettri's two-year hold on the AIFF men's Player of the Year trophy, while in-form striker Bala Devi was chosen for the women's honour for a second successive time in the AIFF Annual General Body Meeting held in Goa, on Sunday.
Odafa Okolie struck a hat-trick to power Mohun Bagan to a 3-1 win over Sporting Clube de Goa in a fourth round I-League clash in Kolkata on Sunday.
Hertha Berlin's Salomon Kalou scored twice, including a stoppage-time penalty, to earn a last-gasp 2-2 draw at Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
The 33-year-old has vast experience of playing in the United Kingdom, United States and the Gulf.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Venezuelan Miku (64th minute and 78th) and skipper Sunil Chhetri (95th) starred for Bengaluru at the Balewadi Sports Complex as the side registered their fourth win this season to cement their place the top of points table.
One of the longest-serving foreigners in the country, Jose Ramirez Barreto led Mohun Bagan to a 2-0 win over Pune FC in their last I-League fixture to bid an emotional farewell to the club which he represented 398 times from his association since 1999-2000 season.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
A late goal against the run of play by Sumeet Passi helped Sporting Clube de Goa prevail over Mumbai FC 1-0 in their Federation Cup first leg football tie at the Cooperage ground, in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Laggards in international rankings, India finally made their presence felt by pulling off an impressive under-17 World Cup that drew all-round praise even though the country was eliminated in the very first round.
Ashley Westwood, who started his career as a trainee at the Manchester United Academy in the mid-90s, has been appointed coach of Jindal Sports' Bangalore-based club for the upcoming I-League season.
Hurt by the absence of an injured Sunil Chhetri in the ongoing I-League, Mohun Bagan, on Monday, shot off a letter to the AIFF seeking an investigation to the striker's participation in the SAFF Championship final which, the club claimed, aggravated his ankle injury.
FC Goa beat FC Pune City 4-2 in a high-scoring match to climb back to the top of the Indian Super League football standings, in Margao, on Sunday.
With their fourth win of the campaign, ATK have now 14 points from seven matches while NorthEast, who have 10 points, are at fourth spot.
Twice lucky on their road to the third successive Federation Cup football final, two-time defending champions East Bengal will take on I-League winners Salgaocar in the title clash of the 33rd edition of the tournament, in Kolkata on Thursday.
The country's top two football clubs East Bengal and Salgaocar face each other in yet another battle for supremacy in the one-off Super Cup match, in New Delhi, on Tuesday.
Salgaocar coach Karim Bencherifa has been rewarded for taking the side to their maiden I-League title with a two-year extension of his contract till 2013.
Cash-strapped UnitedSC overcame all the off-field hardships as their committed players put up a well-knit effort for a 2-0 win over debutants Rangdajied United FC in their I-League opener, in Kolkata on Sunday.
Adolfo Miranda scored the all-important goal of the match at a rain-soaked Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
National Anti-Doping Agency chief Navin Agarwal confirmed the former India captain was tested by NADA officials in March but declined to elaborate further.
Indian football team coach Wim Koevermans's contract will be extended till the end of next year's Asian Games in October, the AIFF's technical committee, headed by former captain Bhaichung Bhutia, decided in New Delhi on Monday.
CK Vineeth showed his predatory skills with double strike in the extra time as Bengaluru FC beat Mohun Bagan 2-0 to win the 38th Federation Cup football tournament.
India national team and Bengaluru FC footballer, CK Vineeth was given the pink slip by Kerala Accountant General for lack of attendance
Salgaocar SC came from behind to outclass East Bengal 3-2 in a crucial I-League encounter, at the Nehru stadium, in Fatorda, Goa, on Thursday. Salgaocar now have one hand on their first ever I-League trophy as they cemented their place at the top of the table with 53 points from 25 matches, while the loss did no favour to the Red & Gold brigade as they find themselves six points behind the Goan outfit.
The 'B' sample of Mumbai FC midfielder Nishant Mehra has also returned positive for a prohibited substance, raising the possibility of an I-League player being banned for doping for the first time.
Indian women's football team defeated Iran by a solitary goal to begin their campaign at the Hero Gold Cup on a winning note at the Kalinga Stadium, in Bhubaneswar, on Saturday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Tuesday
All the results from the I-League and ISL matches played on Saturday
Sporting Clube de Goa held a lacklustre East Bengal to a goalless draw in their penultimate I-League fixture at the Vidyasagar Krirangan, in Barasat on Friday.
National football team captain Sunil Chhetri and Women's national team striker Bala Devi, were named the 'AIFF 2014 Player of the Year' and '2014 AIFF Woman Footballer of the Year', respectively.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
Captain Ranti Martins fired in a hat-trick as I-League champions Dempo beat East Bengal 3-1 to lift the Super Cup football tournament in Gurgaon on Wednesday.
With their management's decision to disband the team, Mahindra United's leading players Mohammad Rafi, Steven Dias and Dharmaraj Ravanan have decided to join Churchill Brothers next season. Churchill, in turn, are likely to lose R Vashum to East Bengal while goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya and midfielder Ogba Kalu are in talks with newly-crowned I-League champions Dempo.
'All clubs will be allowed to register four (3 foreigners and one Asian) for all tournaments including I-League (Division 1 and 2), Federation Cup, All-India tournaments and local leagues for this season only,' a statement of the AIFF said. 'However, only three of the foreign players can be in the actual playing eleven,' the statement added.
With Mahindra United disbanding their team, Vasco Sports Club, who finished third behind HAL and ONGC in the second division, should be promoted to the elite first division of the I-League for the coming season, says Goa Football Association secretary Savio Messais.
He spoke to Rediff.com's Laxmi Negi on why ISL could prove to be a much-needed shot in the arm for Indian football and how it attracted him back to India.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday