Nita Ambani, the Founder and Chairperson of Football Sports Development Limited (FDSL), launched the Indian Super League (ISL) grassroots football movement at Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai.
Aim of the Programme
The programme is launched to train young footballers in the country to nourish their talents and teach them best practices. It aims to reach the mark of one million youngsters in the first year. The programme is set to give a platform to the youngsters and boost football across the nation.
About the Programme
Through this programme, children will be introduced to the game of football and various different techniques related to the game. The first phase will begin in early 2015. Through its in-school and maidan initiatives, the programme aims to reach 500,000 children.ISL will also distribute 100,000 footballs with a larger focus on villages and small towns.
Once the youngsters are trained, the best ones will be selected for the next step. The most talented kids from the age group of 10 to 13 years will be given the Reliance Foundation’s Young Champ scholarship, which,apart from football expenses, will also cover their education fees.These footballers will then be given further training, which will help them to join the league of top footballers.
Many organisations have come together to make this programme sustainable. These include FDSL, 8 clubs of ISL, Reliance Foundation and three NGOs – Magic Bus in Mumbai, Delhi, Raigad and Bangalore; Slum Soccer in Nagpur, Thane and Navi Mumbai; and Yuwa in Jharkhand.
Founder’s Vision
Nita Ambani feels that education and sports equally play prime roles in the development of a child. These children can only then develop the nation. She said, “Sports is essential for the holistic development of young kids. It channelizes their energy in the right direction, builds their character and fosters their physical, social and emotional health.”
Emphasising on the importance of football,she added, “Football is a life skill. It is wonderful to see India becoming a multi-sport nation. The ISL grassroots training and scouting camps will train and outfit India’s young footballing talent. Reliance Foundation will further help select the top talent and support them with full-time Residential Scholarships.”
The Launch
On launching the grassroots programme, Nita Ambani said, “As we are approaching the business-end of the league, we are launching the soul of ISL- the grassroots program.”
Salman Khan, Bollywood superstar and Founder of Being Human, was also present at the launch. He endorsed her vision of grassroots football and said, “This grassroots programme is an important step for the development of the beautiful game of football. I am happy to be a part of this programme. Mrs. Ambani wants to develop India as a footballing nation. This programme will surely help to meet her aspirations and shape the next generation of Indian footballers.”