Sporting Club Bengaluru was crowned I-League 2 champion following a 1-0 away win over Sudeva Delhi FC on Monday.

The result also means Sporting will play the I-League next season, the second tier in Indian football below the Indian Super League. The last city-based club to feature in the I-League was Bengaluru FC in 2016-17.

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Coached by the Bengaluru-based Chinta Chandrashekhar, Sporting is now on 27 points from 12 matches and has two more matches left. Dempo Sports Club, on 21 points from 12 matches, can catch Sporting at the top, but the latter has a superior head-to-head record.

“The journey has been nothing short of a dream,” said Kishore S. Reddy, co-owner and CEO of the club. “We have put in the right processes, and it has been a total team effort. A lot of credit goes to everyone — from the investors to the coach to the kitman.

“We believed in local talent. We have the highest number of local players playing in the team. The club is a representation of the surroundings, and we are proud of that,” added Kishore.