Aizawl Football Club to train 3,000 tribal children

Aizawl: Keeping in mind the grassroots level programme, Aizawl Football Club will train about 3,000 tribal children in the age group of 6 to 14 in a first three-year cycle which will kick-off in February 2016.

With funding from the Tata Trusts, the North East Initiative Development Agency (NEIDA) will be the nodal agency of the project, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) will select schools to form the 60 non-residential football academies spread across six districts of Mizoram and run the academies.

The football training module will be designed under the technical support and guidance provided by Aizawl Football Club. Talented footballers would be inducted to Aizawl FC academies and the likes, thereby accelerating their progress into future professional footballers who would not only win accolades for the state but also it is envisioned for the nation as well.

"Aizawl FC has a very strong youth development setup across Mizoram and the present club team which will participate in the elite I-League organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) comprises of Mizo players who are a product of this youth development system," club president Robert Royte said in a release on Thursday.

He also expressed his views that the project will be a model for other states and clubs to follow in near future. Jahar Das, head of youth development of the club also said that he was very excited about this unique project.