Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
Indian football may not be well-known on the world stage, but there is a keen amount of interest in the sport in the country. There are two major football competitions, the Hero I-League and the Indian Super League, highlighting the popularity of the sport in India. The vast number of spectators has led to the emergence of some highly impressive stadia as well, with the EMS Stadium arguably being the best of the bunch.
Indians may be best-known for being cricket mad, but a vast proportion of them have a keen passion for football as well. This has been helped by the more widespread availability of international competitions on the television networks in the country.
While India does have its own football competitions, the English Premier League is by far the most-watched division. This is thanks to brands like Manchester United marketing themselves well to the people of the country. The rise in football betting has also helped the popularity of the sport to spread. Indeed, the market is booming to such an extent that bettors are making use of options like BettingGuru to help them select sites. It recommends the best sign up bonuses for new players.
While the English top-flight may be the most popular competition in the country, it is difficult for most Indians to watch the likes of United live. So instead of flying all the way to the UK, most football-loving Indians will watch live games in the two main Indian football leagues. Judging by the seating capacities of some of the major stadia, there are a lot of people who like to see games in person.
The EMS Stadium in Kozhikode in the state of Kerala is considered by football experts to be the best pitch in the country. It was built in 1977 and has a seating capacity of 80,000. The ground takes its name from the first Chief Minister of Kerala, E. M. S. Namboodiripad.
The quality of the EMS Stadium has to be good because it hosts a number of different teams. On the world stage, the stadium is best known for playing host to the matches of the India national football team. On a more local level, it is home to the Kerala Football Team, Kerala United FC, and Gokulam Kerala FC.
There are a few other football grounds in India that are considered world-class as well. While the EMS Stadium may have the greatest playing surface in the country, another ground is particularly remarkable for its architecture. Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata is the other most famous football hotspot in India, and its stunning design is similar to Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. This has the highest seating capacity in the country, with space for 85,000 fans.
With amazing grounds like the EMS Stadium and the Salt Lake Stadium, it is surprising that Indian football isn't more of a global product. Indians are certainly lucky to have access to these stadia, in addition to being able to watch international leagues on television.
Taking my son to his first football match was one of the best experiences I've had as a father so far. I've written this article for Alex to read when he gets older.
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