In 1971, the Jagatjit Cotton & Textile Football Club (JCT FC) was founded in Punjab. A professional football club, they played in the I-League and the Punjab State Super League for many years, winning numerous tournaments and glorifying the state when it came to football. Unfortunately, a lack of support for the sport led to the team being disbanded after the 2010-2011 I-League season. Despite the first team no longer playing, young talent was still being admitted into the JCT Academy – a full-fledged academy where children have access to education as well as football training. In August last year, in an attempt to revive the once glorious name of JCT, India on Track (IOT) gained ownership of the Academy in Hoshiarpur with the aim of reviving their senior football team, and also introducing foreign coaches into the Academy to boost football in the country.

IOT Scouting Session in Mangolpuri

IOT and Baliga Memorial Trust Conduct a Scouting Session for Children from the Mangolpuri Slums
Source: IOT-Arsenal Football Page

 

Reaching out to a large audience, IOT set up several grassroots centres and development centres, and have tied-up with Arsenal Soccer Schools to nurture raw football talent in the country. They have 33 training centres in India, 5 of which are in Mumbai. Over a thousand children are currently being coached at these centres, which follow a training model put in place by UEFA and AIFF licensed experts.

The best students from the grassroots centres are given the opportunity to take a step further, and train at IOT’s development centres across the country. The training at the development centres is more intense than the grassroots centres, and at a much higher level. IOT has UEFA licensed coaches from Spain and Africa who train the youth here. Based on how well they do, the children will get anything between a 25% to 100% scholarship to train with Arsenal Soccer Schools pan-India. The training at these centres is focused solely on nurturing the children’s talent and preparing them to raise their game for a career in football. IOT-Arsenal Soccer Schools intends on partnering with reputed education institutions across the country to provide a growth platform for top performers. Here, students will be provided with a wholesome learning experience, and will be able to benefit from constant inputs from the coaching staff.

Arsenal Soccer Schools Boys in Action

IOT Arsenal Soccer School Students Playing a Competitive Match
Source: IOT-Arsenal Facebook Page

Youth who excel at the development centres are given a chance to go to the JCT FC Academy in Hoshiarpur in Punjab, from where they can make a career for themselves in football. The Academy is headed by technical director David Moliner, a UEFA Pro licensed coach who played for Valencia CF and Montpellier HSC. After a knee injury ended his playing career, he got his coaching licenses and a degree in sports science, and was the technical director at Academy Futur Castello before coming to India to boost grassroots football here.

IOT has also tied up with international coaching academies in Salou (Spain) and Benfica (Portugal). The prime focus of these academies is scouting players and leading them to a football-centric career. Those children who are inclined to live an academy lifestyle can benefit from these international tie-ups. Since IOT has taken over JCT and the JCT Academy, there has been steady growth at the academy. In light of these developments, IOT hopes to have the JCT first team back in the I-League where they belong, by 2017. Although they haven’t competed since 2011, the academy members believe that JCT will soon join the I-League second division, before climbing the ranks and graduating to the top tier of Indian football.

Arsenal SocAcer School Drills

Children Learning to Play “The Arsenal Way”
Source: IOT-Arsenal Facebook Page

IOT is doing a great job by starting football training at the grassroots level, and allowing children to better their game at various stages – first at training centres, then at development centres, and finally at the academy level. They have streamlined the process of selection to the academy, and with the support of Premier League giants, Arsenal, we’re sure that children who choose to train with IOT will gain from quality football coaching. Apart from training, IOT is also involved in hosting the Annual Football Movement Conference, as well as in managing the Luis Figo Foundation.

While there are tremendous opportunities for paying students, it will be interesting to see how IOT and several other pay-to-train football programs across India go about the challenge of developing promising grassroots talents who may not have the resources to afford their fees.

To find out more about how you can join the IOT-Arsenal Soccer School training centres, click here to visit their website.