I-League 2018-19: How has Shillong Lajong’s all-Indian squad gamble worked?

Conclusion

#1 All-Indian move should be hailed

Lajong is not only playing without foreigners, but all the boys hail from north-east

Reeling at the bottom of the table, some have already voiced their displeasure over the all-Indian strategy. The supporters are also not happy as their team is going down in almost every match. They are calling for a change.

But in this case, the results should not, at all, be considered. The decision of Lajong vice-president Larsing Ming should be hailed highly. Not many teams have the courage of fielding a pan-Indian line-up in a hugely competitive tournament like I-League.

Lajong is not only playing without foreigners, but all the boys hail from north-east. This is to promote footballers from this part of the region and give them a platform to shine.

The north-eastern region has always been a hotbed of promising footballers. Players like Talimeran Ao, Baichung Bhutia, Renedy Singh have made India proud. Earlier, there were not many clubs to play for and talented players went to other states like West Bengal to excel their career.

With the growing success of the sport, more and more players started to emerge. As of now, more than 100 north-eastern footballers are playing across the country in Indian Super League and I-League.

But there needs to be a platform for the youngsters to make a name for themselves and Lajong are providing just that.

So, we should encourage them.