Youth Football in India (News Thread)
Arsenalkid700
7 Points
<font face="Arial, Verdana" size="5"><b>Pune FC decry format change by AIFF for under-15 event</b></font><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="5"><b><br></b></font></div><div><span name="advenueINTEXT" id="advenueINTEXT" style="text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div class="storydiv" id="storydiv" style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); line-height: 17px; float: left; margin-right: 20px; "><div class="Normal" style="font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">MUMBAI: The <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pune-FC"; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">Pune FC</a> Under-15 squad would not figure in this year's <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Manchester-United-Premier-Cup"; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">Manchester United Premier Cup</a> (MUPC) following a change in its format by the All India Football Federation. <br><br>The AIFF has restricted the tournament to one club per state. <br><br>"In a shocking development, the <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/All-India-Football-Federation"; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">All India Football Federation</a> (AIFF) and the sponsors of the tournament - leading sports apparel manufacturer <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Nike"; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">Nike</a> - decided to restrict the tournament to one club per state," a media release from Pune FC said, adding that the club to represent Maharashtra was chosen by a draw of lots in which <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Premier-International-Football-Academy"; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">Premier International Football Academy</a> of Mumbai got lucky. <br><br>"In the past editions of this one-of-a-kind tournament, all <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/I-League"; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">I-League</a> clubs received invitations in lieu of the tournament, national body and sponsors objective of promoting grassroot talent (particularly Under-15s) of I-League clubs," said the club which added the change in format was not communicated to the I-League clubs by AIFF. <br><br>"The change was not informed to clubs. At least we (Pune FC) did not receive any intimation and came to know about the change late Thursday evening. It's very disappointing on the part of the National body," said Pune FC's Head Operations, Chirag Tanna. <br><br>This year's MUPC is to be held at Jamshedpur in the last week of this month. <br><br>"As if changing the format is not enough, the selection process for Maharashtra by the state body<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Western-India-Football-Association"; style="color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; ">Western India Football Association</a> (WIFA) was conducted by a lucky draw! Premier International Football Academy (PIFA), Mumbai got lucky and will represent the state as per the 'one-club-per-state' format," the club said, adding it had used the tournament to promote Pune city players in the last four years of MUFC. <br><br>"The tournament provided players their first touch of professionalism. Moreover, it attracted a lot many to the game with the hope of performing and showcasing talent on a national-level platform early," Tanna said. <br><br>"I can only imagine how disappointed the players feel. They have been training regularly since July 2011 and these whimsical decisions taken will only hurt the popularity of the sport," he added.</div><div class="Normal" style="font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; "><br></div><div class="Normal" style="font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; ">________________________________________________________________</div><div class="Normal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 20px; "><font face="'Arial Black'">What bull****. Yet another reason why youth football will never do well. We can say "Oh we have these FIFA Academies" but what about at Indian club youth level. This tournament should be for any team that meets a criteria. No matter how many teams from each state.</font></div><div style="font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia; "><br></div></div></span></div>
Comments
Though the formal announcement is yet to be made, Bagan authorities confirmed that the tournament will be held between November 19 and 27, with Hero Motocop and LG as confirmed sponsors, and a large steel magnate as the title sponsor, and the name will be formally announced when the deal is finally inked
Kalyan Choubey, chief of the club’s Youth Development Programme, told SportzPower that the AIFF had created a wonderful opportunity through its U-19 tourney. But many clubs around the country misuse it.
mi
Explains Choubey: “There are positive and negative sides of that. Not all the clubs actually have their own U-19 teams, and after the AIFF announces the tournament each year, many clubs hurriedly hire some players locally just to be part of the tournament and disband the team after that.”
He stressed that Mohan Bagan’s idea is to bring on one platform all the players from those football academies that are run through the year, including its own Mohan Bagan SAIL Football Academy, which operates out of the SAIL’s premises in the steel city of Durgapur, West Bengal.
“This will ensure that all genuine and regular U-19 players get a chance to play in a regular tournament. Otherwise the academy boys merely have their own training and practice without sensing what a match is,” Choubey said.
To ensure that all the boys get a minimum volume of exposure, the league has been tweaked in its format so that each team does get to play at least three matches, Choubey says.
“It should not be the case that a team travels from so far and is out after the first match and go back home. Each team will be able to play at least three matches and no ‘unfortunate dismissals’ will be allowed.
The 12 teams that are coming to play are Tata Football Academy (Jamshedpur), Sesa Football Academy (Goa), SAI Burdwan Academy and Mohan Bagan SAIL Football Academy (both from West Bengal), Sambalpur Football Academy and another academy from Bangalore.
The prize purse will be Rs 200,000, of which Rs 100,000 will split between the winner and runner-up.
“But design of the programme is such that all 12 teams will get some financial benefit,” Choubey confirms.
Mohan Bagan AC will bear all the costs of travel and stay of the teams and the matches will be played at the SAIL Mohan Bagan Football Academy stadium in Durgapur, he informed.
<br><div><br></div><div>I dont think that Nike had much influence in this decision. This is only a guess based on what they do in other countries like the US where they run a similar tournament but allow as many clubs from one state. </div><div><br></div><div>Honestly if they wanted to do 1 club per state they could have at least done inter-state qualifiers. It gives more games to u15 players and its more fair than some random draw.</div><div><br></div><div>Also I wonder who will represent West Bengal and Goa.</div>
</font><br><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">It is. Why they did not determine who will represent them through a qualifier I dont know.</font></div>
Maybe MANU decided to decrease the budget for the Indian leg since they are here to promote themselves and secondly they understood that in India there is no proper youth structre so this tournaments budget can be spent in the final leg where they may get their next Park Ji Sung...........