The trophy for the inaugural edition of the Gujarat Super League (GSL) was unveiled in Ahmedabad on Wednesday on April 24, 2024, by Gujarat State Football Association (GSFA) President Parimal Nathwani. Organised by the GSFA, the GSL is the first franchise-based football league in Gujarat and will be held from May 1 to May 12 at the EKA Arena, TransStadia in Ahmedabad.
Six teams will be vying for the title in the inaugural edition of the GSL, which will be held in a single round-robin format, with the top two teams at the end of the league stage contesting the final on May 12. The six franchises are – Ahmedabad Avengers, Gandhinagar Giants, Karnavati Knights, Saurashtra Spartans, Surat Strikers, Vadodara Warriors. All matches will be streamed live on FIFA+ and the Gujarat State Football Association YouTube Channel. After the Santosh Trophy Final Round, the GSL will become the second Indian football tournament to be streamed globally on FIFA+. The tickets to watch the GSL live at the EKA Arena, TransStadia will be available to buy on BookMyShow.
The Gujarat Super League is a major initiative of the GSFA in making football more popular and strengthening the sport in the state. Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL) and the Sports Authority of Gujarat are the main and associate sponsors of the GSL, respectively.
“The players were selected by the six teams through a draft system, which had 250 players from Gujarat and 36 others from 10 different states. These players have had the experience of playing in various national tournaments like Santosh Trophy, I-League, I-League 2, I-League 3, Durand Cup, AIFF Youth Leagues, Reliance Foundation Development League, and other state leagues. All the teams are already stationed in Gandhinagar and have begun training sessions since April 15,” said GSFA General Secretary Mulrajsinh Chudasama.
The champions of the GSL will receive a prize money of Rs 11 lakhs, while the runners-up will receive Rs 5 lakhs. Individually, the best players in eight different categories will get a prize money of Rs 25,000 each on the basis of their performance throughout the tournament.
Gujarat Super League Schedule:
19:00, May 1: Ahmedabad Avengers vs Surat Strikers
21:30, May 1: Gandhinagar Giants vs Vadodara Warriors
19:00, May 2: Karnavati Knights vs Saurashtra Spartans
16:30, May 4: Ahmedabad Avengers vs Gandhinagar Giants
19:00, May 4: Surat Strikers vs Karnavati Knights
21:30, May 4: Vadodara Warriors vs Saurashtra Spartans
16:30, May 5: Surat Strikers vs Saurashtra Spartans
19:00, May 5: Ahmedabad Avengers vs Vadodara Warriors
21:30, May 5: Gandhinagar Giants vs Karnavati Knights
16:30, May 8: Gandhinagar Giants vs Saurashtra Spartans
19:00, May 8: Ahmedabad Avengers vs Karnavati Knights
21:30, May 8: Surat Strikers vs Vadodara Warriors
16:30, May 10: Vadodara Warriors vs Karnavati Knights
19:00, May 10: Ahmedabad Avengers vs Saurashtra Spartans
21:30, May 10: Surat Strikers vs Gandhinagar Giants
19:00, May 12: Final (1st vs 2nd).