Kolkata, 8th July: The Bengal Super League (BSL) was officially launched today at a grand event held at The Lalit Great Eastern, Kolkata.
The occasion was graced by dignitaries from the Indian Football Association (IFA) including IFA President Mr. Ajit Banerjee and Secretary Mr. Anirban Dutta, veteran footballers, and key representatives from Shrachi Sports including Managing Director Mr. Rahul Todi and Chairperson Mr. Tamal Ghosal alongside representatives from Zee including Chief Cluster Officer-East, North & Premium Clusters, ZEEL Mr. Samrat Ghosh and Zee Sports National Head Mr. Bavesh Janavlekar and prominent members of the West Bengal sporting fraternity.
The BSL ushers in a new era for district-level football in West Bengal. Licensed by the Indian Football Association (IFA), this franchise-based tournament aims to revolutionize the local football ecosystem by bringing in the professionalism and excitement usually associated with top-tier leagues.
BSL will serve as a significant platform for promoting unidentified local talents of Bengal and offer valuable opportunities for talent identification and scouting.
Scheduled to kick off in October 2025, the inaugural edition will feature a player draft
system designed to create a fair and competitive platform for emerging talent from across the state. The tournament will focus on identifying talent while offering an electrifying atmosphere for football lovers in the districts.
Shrachi Sports as the licensee partner for the Bengal Super League (BSL) for the next 10 years through a formal agreement with the Indian Football Association (IFA) has also successfully brought on board, Zee Sports (ZEE) to be the official Media Partner.
All BSL matches will be broadcasted live on Zee Bangla Cinema, ensuring wide reach and high entertainment value for viewers. This collaboration is set to infuse the tournament with glamour, visibility, and momentum, delivering a compelling blend of football and entertainment that will resonate with a broad audience.
Furthermore, the high-quality television coverage will offer significant exposure for
participating players, helping them gain recognition within the national football
community.The league will feature eight teams in this edition, each representing one of West Bengal’s district-level clusters. Matches will be hosted at four district venues, selected to spark local interest and drive strong community participation.
At its core, BSL aims to elevate district football by offering it a high-quality,professional platform, while also promoting the growth of the sport beyond metropolitan centres.
With its unique blend of sporting ambition, entertainment appeal, and regional pride, the Bengal Super League is set to become a true game-changer for football in West Bengal.
IFA President Mr. Ajit Banerjee congratulated Shrachi Sports and stated that the league presents a wonderful opportunity to discover an unearth, raw, rural talent, offering them an unique platform for young footballers to showcase their skills.
He further said:”BSL identifies raw talent, gives it the right exposure, and improves lives, a responsibility we deeply value. More than just a tournament, BSL ensures safety, stability, and sustained play, tackling the real issues players face. That’s where real change begins.”
“BSL as a tournament works on multiple levels. It targets the unidentified rural talents and provides them the right exposure. It improves the quality of an individual’s life which we
take as our responsibility in Shrachi Sports.”
Speaking about this association, Zee Sports National Head Mr. Bavesh Janavlekar says,“We are happy to restart our journey in sports with football and that too in West Bengal!Bengal Super League’s uniqueness of giving an opportunity to the deeply penetrated football talent across districts makes it the right content for Zee Bangla Cinema, it being one of the most penetrated and widely watched channel in West Bengal.
“As we embark on this journey, we aim to create a legacy for all the Bangla football lovers!”