Football came to India in the late nineteenth century. According to various sportswriters, this game was introduced to India by British soldiers. However, some sports historians have a different take on football's history in India. They say that the soldiers brought rugby to India, and not football.
India has become a stronghold of football in Asia. A lot of credit goes to I-League 2nd Division for providing a platform to young Indian footballers.
I-League is India's one of the two top football championships, the other being the Indian Super League. Born in 2007, the I-League features 11 football clubs, such as Dempo and Mohun Bagan.