KOCHI: It is over, Kochi’s tryst with the I-League, at least for another season.Chirag United Kerala, on Sunday, played for one final time at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium this season. Having been relegated from the nation’s premier football competition, Chirag - formerly Viva Kerala - had plenty of goals to show in their concluding game, from a 5-2 win over Mumbai FC.But with huge question marks hanging over the future of the only club from Kerala to have played in the I-League, since its inception five seasons ago, it never had the backing of the fans in the football crazy-state.Even matches against giants in Indian football, like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Churchill Brothers, failed to pull in the crowds.Chirag’s continued failure to score and register wins too proved a let-down for fans.“It was very disappointing to see that the I-League matches were played in front of near-empty stands,” said former international C C Jacob. “They could have generated better interest if they had won a few matches early on. New stars are also not coming through.” But just like the other Kochi team that invited national attention - the terminated Indian Premier League side Kochi Tuskers Kerala - the fans simply did not feel that they belonged to Kochi, or indeed Kerala.The past one year has been frustrating for the fans.For the huge Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium played the perfect stage for a tale of two teams that flattered to deceive.KTK came visiting from afar, and dug a hole to bury itself in. Chirag, homegrown but paralysed, surrendered its powers unto a distant master, and finds itself slipping into an abyss. With neither the former owner Viva Sports Private Limited nor the current management, the Kolkata-based Chirag Computers, able to throw light on the future of the club registered under the Ernakulam District Football Association, it seems Kochi would have to wait a while before the I-League makes a comeback.
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