By IANS
New Delhi : India's first Professional League will start Sep 30, the All India Football Federation announced here Friday.
Following an executive committee meeting, AIFF said the federation general secretary Alberto Colaco has been asked to prepare a schedule and circulate it amongst the clubs by Aug 10.
"It was decided that the AIFF should enter an agreement with state associations and stadium authorities concerned regarding availability of venues for the Pro League matches," the AIFF statement said.
Amongst the other decisions taken was the allotment of the sub-junior national championship to Uttarakhand, from Sep 15 to Oct 15.
Bengal will host the senior national championship for women.
The AIFF said Colaco has been asked to talk to governments of Assam, Punjab, Orissa and Kerala before finalising the venue for the Federation Cup.
The executive committee decided that "special steps" be taken to popularise Pro League through close interaction with clubs and local community by organising workshops and seminars, to be conducted with help of the game's world governing body FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation.
"AIFF also approved the format of the second division Professional Football League and approved direct entry of corporate clubs, provided they are first affiliated to respective state associations and meet the club licensing criteria," said the statement.
Other clubs, which apply for entry to the second division National Football League, will also have to meet these criteria.
However, the two clubs relegated from the first division of 11th NFL and the four clubs that finished third to sixth in the final phase of the second division NFL last season will be admitted directly into the second division Professional League.