Month: June 2016

AFC Grassroots Football Day 2016: India Highlights

On May 15th, 2016, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) celebrated a very successful Grassroots Football Day. A number of member associations joined in the festivities, and India was not to be left out. Over the course of the day, numerous football festivals were held across the country, and impacted well over 10,000 young children. From New Delhi to Anantapur, and Manipur to Punjab, over 100 districts celebrated the joys of grassroots football.

Grassroots Football Day Registrations

Signing Up for AFC Grassroots Football Day
Source: ASA

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Tiki-Taka in Anantapur: Football Summer Camp 2016

With recent exposure to the I-League youth competition and visits from international players like Jofre Mateu, football has been on the rise in Anantapur. After a very progressive season, Anantapur Sports Academy (ASA) kicked off their annual summer football camp on May 1st. Held in collaboration with Spanish football club C. F. Santvicenti, the camp created an air of excitement amongst the kids and coaches, like it does every year. M P Ricard returned to this year’s ASA football summer camp for the third consecutive year to enjoy yet another immersive and educative experience with the children in Anantapur .

ASA Camp Team

The Team Before Kick-Off
Source: ASA

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Rajasthan Village Girls Find a Voice Through Football

Nothing much happened in the village of Merpur on the outskirts of Udaipur, Rajasthan. It was a quiet hamlet where school boys would play during lunch breaks while the girls wandered about. Worse still, the girls were extremely diffident, hesitant to speak and low on confidence. Rather than talking about studies and sports, girls as young as 14 would discuss marriage and some of their friends who were getting pregnant. That was until Padmini V, recipient of a 13-month SBI Youth for India Fellowship, showed up in town.

With the help of Laduram, the village sarpanch and Rohit Pandya, a physical trainer from Udaipur, Padmini has begun to use football to break gender stereotypes, give the girls an outlet to express themselves constructively, get fit and, most importantly, develop a sense of self-belief, confidence and direction.

Merpur Girls Football

Introducing Merpur Girls to Football
Source: Youth Ki Awaaz

Read more about Padmini’s excellent work here on Youth Ki Awaaz.

The Mutineers Debut Tornado Tournament – From Awadh to Delhi

Based out of Akbarpur in the Ambedkar Nagar district in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, the Awadh Mutineers’ story is as heart-warming as it is inspirational. Founded back in 2013, the Mutineers is Akbarpur’s only club. It was founded with the aim of promoting football in these parts, and to provide sports training and education to kids belonging to underprivileged backgrounds.

Over the course of two years, the club has fully supported the education and football training of twenty kids from different families across the city. Over this time, the children have gradually improved in the sport, and have even tasted success in local matches. This year however, the management felt it was time to test their talents outside of their hometown, and what better place for the next chapter of their story than the capital city of Delhi. The boys had never travelled outside their village, but being the confident and determined bunch that they are, they couldn’t wait!

Awadh Mutineers

The Awadh Mutineers
Source: Awadh Mutineers

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