Following a request from the Indian Football Association (IFA), this season's I-League is going to be deferred by two weeks.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) wanted to start the second edition of the tournament on September 12 but the date was pushed back to September 26 following a meeting of the I-League clubs in New Delhi on Friday.

Owing to heavy showers and the unavailability of grounds, the IFA could not complete the Premier Division League by August 31 and sought another two weeks to finish things off.

"We requested the AIFF to push back the dates and they have agreed," said IFA secretary Utpal Ganguli.

That was the reason the fixtures could not be released today.

The venue too remains a sore point with the IFA and Ganguli said he was going to meet West Bengal Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty on Monday and urge him to push back the renovation work on Yuba Bharati Krirangan to April.

"That way we can use the ground for the I-League matches," Ganguli said.

In the meeting it was also decided that the final phase of the Federation Cup would be held in Delhi and Gurgaon from December 4 to 22.

espnstar.com