Tag: Grassroots Football (page 1 of 7)

AFC Grassroots Football Day 2016: India Highlights

June 14, 2016 / / 2 Comments

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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The Mutineers Debut Tornado Tournament – From Awadh to Delhi

June 7, 2016 / / 0 Comments

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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U15 Nike Premier Cup India Final Round Kicks Off

April 18, 2016 / / 0 Comments

The last match of the U15 Youth League Zonal Phase concluded almost two months ago and we’re happy to report that the Final Round of the U15 League, now known as the Nike Premier Cup India, kicked off this morning in Goa. The top 12 teams from the Zonal Phase have been put into three groups and will play 18 matches over the next week. The top team from each group will secure their place in the semi-finals along with the best second placed team across all groups.

While these are all teams that have done well in the Zonal Phase, the level of competition will be significantly higher with past results counting for nothing. Everyone starts off on a clean slate and, still in its inaugural season despite the many challenges, the U15 Youth League is now coming to a head! The time has come for the boys to show their mettle.

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All Set for Season 2 of the Reliance Foundation Young Champs Program

April 1, 2016 / / 3 Comments

Apart from popularising football in the country, the Indian Super League (ISL) is doing a good job of encouraging clubs to invest in grassroots football. In 2015, the Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) initiative was kick-started as part of the ISL’s grassroots programme. The RFYC Program makes use of the ISL’s clubs’ grassroots initiatives to spot talented children from across the country between the ages of 11 and 14. The Foundation then offers the most talented and deserving children full-time residential scholarships to the Reliance Foundation School.

ATK RFYC Scouting

The RFYC Scouts with the Talents Picked by Atletico de Kolkata
Source: Indian Super League

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Atletico Madrid Coaches in Kolkata for ATK Academy Trials

March 31, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Champions of the Indian Super League’s (ISLs) inaugural season, Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) have done splendid work over the past two years in promoting grassroots football in the city.  In 2015 they brought West Bengal’s Indian Football Association’s (IFA) Nursery League back to life. Although their second run in the league was not as successful as the first, the club is still doing what they can for the sport. Co-owners, Sanjiv Goenka and Utsav Parekh are both focused on setting up a football academy in the city and promoting the sport. At their proposed academy, bright young stars can focus on football training while continuing with their academics as well.

ATK Grassroots Youth

Eager Youth Attend ATK’s Grassroots Initiatives
Source: Atletico de Kolkata Facebook Page

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Boca Juniors Football School Comes to Mumbai

March 17, 2016 / / 2 Comments

A product of one of Argentina’s most successful football clubs, Club Atletico Boca Juniors, the Boca Juniors Football School came to India in 2013. Home to legendary footballers like Diego Maradona, Carlos Tevez and Gabriel Batistuta, Boca Juniors was the first South American club to launch in India. Over the past 3 years they have operated in 6 schools across Bangalore, and their youth participated in this season’s U15 I-League tournament.

Maradona at Boca

Maradona Celebrates a Goal for Boca Juniors in 1981
Source: The Antique Football

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The Biggest Football School in the World

March 16, 2016 / / 2 Comments

An $185 million investment. 160 acres. 50 football pitches. A partnership with Real Madrid. Hogwarts-style buildings. 2,600 boys. 200 girls. And it was all built in 10 months. Welcome to Evergrande Football School in Qingyuan, Guangdong (rural southern China).

Evergrande Football School

Kids training at Evergrande Football School, China 
Source: www.thestar.com

Driven by Chinese President, Xi Jinping’s passion for football, Evergrande Football School is symbolic of how far ahead China has gone ahead of India in the effort to nurture grassroots talent. Their goal is to have China compete at the World Cup again (after 2012) and, who knows, even challenge traditional powerhouses like Germany, Argentina and Brazil in the years to come.

Looks a brilliant facility. Wonder when we’ll have something like it in India…

Read more about Evergrande Football School in this fantastic piece by Jonathan Stayton  (don’t miss the video!)

Atletico de Kolkata’s Grassroots Programme – Looking for Tomorrow’s Stars

March 15, 2016 / / 3 Comments

The launch of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) has definitely encouraged the sport of football in the country. While more youth have been drawn to the sport, the ISL teams are doing what they can to give youngsters a platform to showcase their talent. After winning the inaugural season of the league, Atletico de Kolkata brought West Bengal’s Indian Football Association’s (IFA) Nursery League back to life. While some may argue that the team had selfish interests in doing so, the fact of the matter is that nearly 2000 children below the age of 14 got a chance to play competitive football. The club used the league to source new talent to train, and the team’s talent spotters looked for 15 to 20 children to send for the ISL grassroots development programme.

In the second season of the ISL, the West Bengal team were unable to reach the finals, but they haven’t let this interfere with their strong grassroots programme. Sanjiv Goenka, co-owner of the club, has spoken about his hopes of also acquiring a foreign team, but for now, his immediate focus is to build a football academy in Kolkata and really work on grassroots football in the country.

ATK, 1st ISL Champions

The 1st ISL Champions
Source: Atletico de Kolkata Facebook Page

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Bangalore Youth to Represent India in World Street Football Festival

March 1, 2016 / / 0 Comments

The UEFA European Championship is something we are all familiar with. It comes as a pleasant reminder that the World Cup is only 2 years away, and gives us a small dose of what we can expect in the coming couple of years. This year’s Euro Cup is sure to be a good one. Defending champions Spain and World Cup winners Germany will both be after their 4th Euro title. Apart from the epic battle for the title, this year’s Euro Cup has something else worth watching. They have their own official event, the Street Football Festival that will be held from 28th June 2016 to 7th July 2016 in Lyon, France. The unique event aims to uplift underprivileged children by using football as a tool of change.

The festival will bring together 80 youth teams from disadvantaged communities all over the world, and give them an opportunity to take part in a one-of-a-kind multicultural experience. It will serve as a platform for youth to share their knowledge, expertise and experience with one another while also developing new opportunities and partnerships between network members. The Dream a Dream trust is one of the network members of the festival, and they have chosen 4 youth from Bangalore to represent India during the football festival in France in June and July 2016.

Street Football Festival Announcement

The Street Football World Kick-Off Announcement
Source: Street Football World Festival Site

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U15 Youth League – The Zonal Phase Ends

February 23, 2016 / / 1 Comment

On Friday, the U15 Youth League zonal phase came to an end. The final12 matches were played over 4 days last week, and here’s a quick look at the scores:

I League U15 Group A Results Week 2

 

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