Football fever grips NLU Jodhpur

Students of National Law University, Jodhpur take their football seriously. The college has its own football league called 'Lex la Liga'. Run by a University Football Association which goes by the name,  'Asociación De Fútbol De La Universidad', the league commences in January. The association has conducted a professional bidding process to purchase the rights to own a team and the members of the team.

The desert town of Jodhpur, Rajasthan is the last place you would expect to find frenzied football fever, but the students of National Law University, Jodhpur appear to take their sports seriously. The college hosted its first national inter-law school sports fest, 'Yuvardha' in September this year. The success inspired the J

odhpur students to a new high. The student body has now come up with a football league for law students- Lex la Liga (league of lawyers).

The league is a professionally organized system based on a 5-a-side format (popularly known as 'Futsal'), played between five teams owned by individuals or consortiums. Run by a University Football Association- the 'Asociación De Fútbol De La Universidad', inspired by cricket's Indian Premier League, with a 'Commissioner' and a 'sheriff' to oversee the entire league. It has already conducted a professional bidding process with players walking the ramp with 'models' on either side.

The bidding process was at two levels. One to buy the rights to constitute a team and to buy players. A cap of Rs. 5,000 was set on the purchase price for a five member team. Owners of the team were allowed to name the team and design the logo and colours of the team, and can transfer, sell, assign or lease their teams. The all-girls-owned team is called Victorius Secret, while the other teams are named Mandore Cowboys Football Club, Ruffnecks United Football Federation, Forza Neri and the Jaguars.

The league is also an opportunity for alumni of the institution to stay connected with their alma mater. "Alumni participation has come even from U.S, apart from those working in various Indian law firms", says Siva M.S., the "Sheriff" of the Association. He continues, "We sent copies of our newsletter to all concerned including the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar. Everything was done with University approval. It was at a time when the IPL was a rage, so I guess we were lucky that way."

The five teams will begin the league matches in January. Football fans in Jodhpur may have a tough time deciding between the English Premier League matches and their own Lex La Liga.