![I-League, Division II 2016](https://xbpe89.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/I-League-Division-II-2016.jpg?time=1721737806)
Dempo sealed a comeback to the I-League after scoring a convincing 3-1 win over Minerva Academy to top the table in the qualifiers. Only one team was guaranteed a place in the elite and Dempo hardly put a foot wrong as they finished ahead of Minerva, NEROCA, Mohammedan Sporting, Lonestar Kashmir and other contenders.