AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: The Hero I-League Qualifier 2020 is all set to kick-start the 2020-21 football season at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, and the Kalyani Municipal Stadium, in Kalyani, West Bengal, as five clubs will battle it out for a single qualification spot, beginning on Thursday, October 8, 2020.

The Qualifiers are set to be played in a round-robin format, with the five teams -- ARA FC, Bhawanipore FC, Garhwal FC, FC Bengaluru United, and Mohammedan SC -- facing each other once. The team that finishes at the top of the table after matchday five, gains entry into the 2020-21 Hero I-League.

“The Hero I-League qualifiers are an important event as it gives a number of teams the chance to qualify for this pan-India league,” said AIFF Leagues CEO Mr. Sunando Dhar.

“It is unfortunate that these teams missed out on the opportunity to gain promotion last season due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he continued. “That is why this is a unique opportunity for them to make it to the Hero I-League this season. Wishing them all the very best in their endeavours.”

Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Hero I-League Qualifier 2020 will be conducted while ensuring maximum safety for all the players and officials involved, keeping them in a Bio—Bubble for the duration of the tournament.