With the long Diwali weekend on, this Friday saw two Hero Under-15 Youth League matches being played. In the Kolkata-Jamshedpur Zone (Group A), Mohun Bagan AC U15 met SAI-East U15 on Friday afternoon at the Mohun Bagan ground. The hosts were put on the defensive when SAI-East’s Israfil Dewan netted the ball just before half time. He scored again in the second half, giving them a lead of 2-0. A late goal in the 79th minute by Mohun Bagan’s Kartick Mondal, however, was not enough for the team and the hosts ended up with a 2-1 loss. At the Cooperage ground on Friday evening, the Maharashtra Zone (Group B) saw an exciting match between Mumbai FC U15 and PIFA Sports U15. Goals by Clivert Millar and Kamran Ansari in the 22nd and 82nd minute respectively gave Mumbai FC a comfortable win over their local rivals.
Tag: Grassroots Football (page 4 of 7)
Image Credit: Mumbai FC
With a long week of Diwali holidays for schools around the country, we have a couple of weekday kick-offs in the Hero U15 Youth League. Mohun Bagan AC U15 started the proceedings in the Kolkata-Jamshedpur Zone (Group A) this afternoon with a game against SAI-East U15. Playing at home, the young Mariners succumbed to an Ishrafil brace before Kartick Mondal pulled one back for the hosts. Later this evening, we will see the Maharashtra Zone (Group B) in action with Mumbai FC U15 hosting PIFA Sport U15 at Cooperage in what promises to be a closely fought encounter between the traditional Mumbai rivals.
Other fixtures lined up this weekend in the U15 Youth League are:
- DSK Shivajians FC U15 v Kenkre FC U15 (14 Nov, 1730 hrs, DSK Football Field)
- Tata Football Academy U15 v Mohammedan SC U15 (15 Nov, 1400 hrs, JRD Sports Complex)
- East Bengal FC U15 v United SC U15 (15 Nov, 1400 hrs, East Bengal Club Ground)
- Steadfast Mumbai Rush SC U15 v Pune FC U15 (15 Nov, 1700 hrs, All Saints School, Bhiwandi)
Aavesh Raheel
Image Credit: QPR SMJSC Website
Mohammed Aavesh Raheel may be small-made, but that doesn’t stop him from dreaming big. The 14-year old football player was one of the few making waves at the first weekend of the 7th edition of the Queens Park Rangers (QPR) South Mumbai Junior Soccer Challenger (SMJSC) last month.
He plays in a number of positions, from forward to goalie, and plays his heart out no matter where he is on the pitch. Although he only started playing football a year ago, Aavesh has a big dream – to play for the Indian national football team! But that isn’t all he wants to do, he wants to follow his passion only after completing his education and getting good grades. We wish Aavesh all the best, and hope that he continues to nurture his passion for football!
Read more about how the QPR South Mumbai Junior Soccer Challenger has helped Aavesh to aspire for a better life on and off the pitch. Click here.
The Phoenix Sports & Leisure Group (PSL) India has been working to develop grassroots football in India over the last few years. They have set up organisations like Soccer Connections and Just For Kicks (JFK), where they coach children in football, talent development, and life skills. While JFK is focused predominantly on transforming education in low-income schools by introducing football to them, Soccer Connections aims to provide focused, fun, and family-oriented football training to children under the age of 12. They conduct their training sessions in affiliated schools, or on professional playing grounds.
Six games were played in Week 2 of the Hero Under-15 Youth League matches, and we’re here to give you a glimpse of what went on. In the Kolkata-Jamshedpur Zone (Group A), Tata Football Academy U15 came face-to-face with Mohun Bagan AC U15 at 2 pm on Saturday at JRD Sports Complex. While the first half ended goalless, three quick goals in the 50th, 53rd and 71st minutes gave Mohun Bagan a comfortable 3-0 victory over TFA. The SAI Ground in Kolkata witnessed a mighty clash on Sunday afternoon, with East Bengal FC U15 taking the lead with a quick 11th minute goal by Kousik Santra. However, SAI-East U15 equalised in the beginning of the second half, when Abhijit Mondal netted the ball in the 52nd minute. The game would end in a 1-1 draw. The match between Mohammedan SC U15 and United SC U15 was goalless until the 66th minute when a goal from Surajuddin Munshi secured a 1-0 victory for Mohammedan SC U15.
The much awaited Hero Under-15 Youth League kicked off last weekend in the Kolkata-Jamshedpur Zone (Group A) with a lot of fanfare and the Maharashtra Zone (Group B) is now set to start tomorrow. Saturday’s game sees traditional Mumbai rivals, Mumbai FC playing Kenkre FC at Cooperage followed by a couple of more games on Sunday featuring Pune FC against DSK Shivajians FC at the Pune FC Training Pitches, Mamurdi and PIFA Sports taking on debutants, Steadfast Academy in Bhiwandi.
While giving U15s competitive match experience is a key objective of the Youth League, another important consideration of the league is to see clubs promoting local talent, ideally from within their existing grassroots program.
Am I a better coach/parent/player than I was yesterday? Did I learn something new today? Did I help a player push himself/herself to the next level? Can I go faster? Can I go higher today? Will I be stronger tomorrow? Will I be able to play better football tomorrow?
Just some questions coaches, parents and players need to ask themselves every day. Because…
Anantapur, once a crucial part of the Vijayanagar Empire, is now a primarily agrarian district with a developing industrial sector. Plagued by drought and poverty, the district is one of the 13 that receives funds from the Backwards Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGFP) in Andhra Pradesh. For many years the people were left quite hopeless, until Vincent Ferrer and his partner Anne decided to start the Rural Development Trust (RDT) in Anantapur in 1969 to improve the quality of life of the rural poor and the underprivileged in the area.
Apart from the work done to educate the people, and uplift the poorer sections of society, the RDT takes a special interest in using sports and cultural activities to give children a holistic education.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) U-17 team won the Subroto Cup earlier this month, and were awarded the trophy by none other than football legend, Pelé. Although AIFF had a humble beginning in 1937, the organisation has come a very long way since then. The AIFF Technical Director is former Australian football player, Scott O’Donell, and the Federation has plans to spread their wings further, and really touch the lives of youth through their Academies and training programmes. While the win is surely a feather in their cap, AIFF maintains that youth development is not at all about winning.
Football-loving brothers Saahil and Sanil Desai decided to set up FutureStars Football Academy (FSFA), a grassroots football academy in Mumbai in 2012. Their motivation behind opening the academy was to take their passion for football to the next level, and give young children a chance to be active while falling in love with the beautiful game. The brothers started playing football at a young age, and today they hope to pass on this love to all the children who come to the Academy. GFI had a chance to interview Co-Founder and Director Saahil Desai. Here’s what he had to say.
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