AIFF regional academies to be consolidated in Goa

AIFF, FIFA. Goa, U-17, World Cup, India, Football, Indianfootball, Soccer, AcademyAIFF started off their regional academies with much fanfare and promise. However functioning of these academies are not going as per the original plan, if reports appearing in the media are true.

Players training at the regional academies in Navi Mumbai and Bangalore has been already shifted to the regional academy in Goa. Latest in the line is players at the Kalyani academy in West Bengal. Reports suggest that the only FIFA-AIFF academy in West Bengal has stopped functioning and soon will be shifted out to Goa.

“We have our own building in Goa where all the academy boys can be housed, Moreover, the cost in Kalyani is proving to be on the higher side. In Goa, it will cost less and be more convenient,” AIFF general secretary Kushal Das is quoted in a media report.

It is also reported that while AIFF’s director of Academies, Scott O’Donnell has approved of this decision, there is serious resentment within AIFF about shifting the academy from West Bengal.

Sunil Chhetri and Eric Benny launch 4v4 League in Bangalore!

Sunil Chhetri, Eric Benny, Football, Academy, Grassroots, Soccer, FC Metz, France, India, Ligue 1, Delhi, Kushal Das, Sports Management, Bangalore, Decathlon, 4v4 LeagueToday, Eric Benny Sports Management took yet another step to launch a new initiative and their first chapter out of Delhi and Gurgaon. Sunil Chhetri along with Eric Benny introduced the unique 4v4 Leagues here in Bangalore that are to start in November this year.

Eric Benny introduced the gathering with a short glimpse of his journey with Indian football through various initiatives that his sports management company has launched across the northern part of India. He also focused on his unique relationship with the French Embassy here in India as well as the management’s partnership with FC Metz; a club known for producing top talent such as Robert Pires, Emmanuel Adebayor, Franck Ribery and many more.

This is a time-tested association of 3.5 years when it all began in Delhi-NCR with Eric Benny envisaging a career for young Indian interested and talented in football. The mission of this roadshow travelling from state to state within a country of over 1.2 billion population to identify at the grass root level talent and thereafter what needs to be done in terms of grooming, training, ranking, selecting the top talented children, before placing them in a world-class football academy like FC Metz in France.

Sunil Chhetri, Brand ambassador for Eric Benny Sports Management, Captain of the Indian National Team and Bengaluru Football Club, underlined that there is no lack of hard work in Indian players but “unless the teacher is good to teach the right way at the right age, and players learn to simultaneously work smart and work hard, only then can there be improvement, else a fiasco.”

After having successfully sent 9 Indian children to F C Metz, EBSM is launching on 9th November across Decathlon sites in Bangalore, 8 weeks of 4V4 football league – inviting children who are passionate about football to try and get selected for a second round of all-Indian elite pool of young footballers before attempting for the top rank in order to avail the opportunity to live their dreams of a career-breaking opportunity at F C Metz. The leagues start pretty soon and Sahil Srivastava who would be managing the Bangalore chapter of these leagues can be reached on 9986556058.

Mr. Eric Lavertu, Consul General of France, termed this as an innovative cooperation with immense potential given the young population of India. It will lead India to the best international level in the future.

Kerala to kick start beach football league

Kerala, Football, beach football, professional league, Soccer,Kerala Football association along with Kochi based ESA media will organise the state’s first professional beach football league in Kozhikode in May 2015. Christened Kerala Beach League, the first of its kind league in the state will feature five teams, from Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kannur in the first season. There will be a Men’s league and women’s league.

The logo of the tournament was unveiled in Kochi by Kerala Football Association president  K. M. A. Mather and ESA Media CEO J. B. Mathews on Friday. The league which is modeled on the Indian Super league will be feature five franchises in the first season. A team will consist of ten players with three foreigners allowed in each team. The five-a-side matches will be of 40 minutes duration.

KFA president K.M.A Mather who unveiled the logo of the league said that Kerala Beach League is the country’s first professional beach league and is an effort to keep state’s football calendar packed with action for a major part of the year.

Bengaluru FC’s Ashley Westwood interested in national team job

Image Courtesy : http://i-league.org

Image Courtesy : http://i-league.org

According to a report in Gulf News, Bengaluru FC coach Ashley Westwood has expressed interest in taking up the coaching role of Indian national team. All India Football Federation has to scout for a new manager for the national team after the current coach Wim Koevermans recently stepped down.

Ashely Westwood guided Bengaluru FC to last season’s I-league title. This was a remarkable achievement since it was Bengaluru FC’s debut appearance in India’s top tier league. Previously he has donned the role of assistant coach at English clubs; Portsmouth, Blackpool and Blackburn Rovers.

“If they think I’m good enough then obviously they would have to approach the club, but I don’t really know how that works, I’m just interested in doing a good job for whoever that would be. I’ve studied the opposition throughout India and watched a lot of football and I’ve watched it for a purpose and I’m learning all the time. That’s what I want to keep doing, I want to keep learning and striving and bettering myself, said Ashley Westwood to Gulf News.

Read more : Westwood interested in vacant India job

Wim era ends as Palestine defeats India

India, Palestine, Football, Soccer, FIFA, Friendly, October, West Bengal, Kanchenjunga, Siliguri, InternationalPalestine, the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup Champions beat India 3-2 in a friendly match that was played at the  Kanchenjunga stadium in Siliguri, on Monday evening. India were leading the match 2-1 at the half time.

India conceded as early as the 8th minute in the match. However Sunil Chhetri and Francis Fernandes scored apiece in the first half as India finished on top. The second half saw Palestine strongly coming back into the match and scoring two goals. Eventually India had to settle with a defeat in the friendly.

As yet another international friendly went by without telecast, fans were very vocal on social media about their displeasure.

Notable was also the complete silence from the ISL media team and the social media channels of ISL teams. Completely oblivious about the match, social media channels of ISL teams went about sharing totally irrelevant content. While this is not a big surprise for us, ISL which claims to take Indian football to another level omitting the national team’s friendly certainly does not bode well for the sport in India. All India Football Federation’s social media channels that used to be very active recently was also missing in action today.

This friendly against Palestine also marked the end of the Dutch coach Wim Koeverman’s stint as the national team’s manager. In the post match presentation ceremony Wim Koevermans confirmed that he is going to step down.

“This was my last match as the coach of the national team and I will not be taking up the post of AIFF’s Technical Director for private reasons,” said the Dutch coach.