Bengaluru, June 10: Sunil Chhetri has urged officials to arrange leagues where more teams can participate in the domestic set-up as it will produce more employment for Indian footballers.

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(AIFF) organised Indian football awards night in Mumbai on Thursday and some of the players addressed the press conference.

The 30-year-old who was named as the 2016 Hero of I-League at the glittering AIFF Awards at a city hotel in Mumbai, proposed that India should get a better league structure whether it was one or two leagues.

The striker was felicitated along with Mohun Bagan forward Jeje and Women Footballer Sasmita Malik who were being awarded the 2016 Player of the Year and 2016 Women's Player of the Year respectively.

“I don't now as it's not been announced. If you ask me what's ideal I've said it: 100 times, more teams, one league," said Chhetri.

“If there are 16, 17 or 20 teams playing in one league that will be the best. I think everyone wants that. How to get there? There are think tanks working on that."

Chhetri also added that he is even okay with the idea of the two leagues running simultaneously as it will provide further opportunities for young players to play.

“I don't mind two leagues, ISL and I-league being held separate and at the same time as more players will get to play and will not be idle," he said.

“If something like that does go ahead, the good thing would mean 10 teams in I-League, 10 teams in ISL, you have 20 teams playing. That's a good thing.

“We are talking about so many players getting employed somewhere," he added.

AIFF president Praful Patel on Thursday placed a Special General Body Meeting (SGBM) in Mumbai where the AIFF Structure was revised to keep it in line with the FIFA and the AFC custom.

The also discussed the possibility of I-League and ISL merger but no agreement was reached on the format for the upcoming season.

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