Gokulam FC is going to introduce its residential football school for both boys and girls. The infrastructure has already been developed in Chennai. The club president VC Praveen revealed initially they plan to start with 25 young potential footballers. 

The age of the footballers will be between eight to 17 years. They will play along with their studies. Praveen stated, “We have CBSC School in Chennai and that is attached to this project. A similar residential football is also coming up in Kerala. Our CEO and scouting team will roam around different states to scout potential footballers for the academy.” 

The elite academy which is going to have three to four coaches even might have a foreign coach. The club which has reportedly received a formidable response from the parents for the admission of their children in the academy, even from the Indians living abroad, has also planned to set a foreign-exposure trip for the students. 

When asked about his observation on the big jump in the registration numbers of the country's women footballers in the last 21 months, Praveen opined, "The women's football in India is undoubtedly developing. The AIFF also has tried to extend the IWL as well as introduce a second tier of IWL. Still, I feel forming a club and participating in IWL-2 and the state leagues are not the reflection of development as a whole.” 

He explained, “The country’s women's football should have a few more tournaments, especially in the junior category. I have noticed several 17 or 18-year-old girls, potentially as footballers are being forced to leave football and marry as their parents are not finding any future from football. They are being able to take part only in IWL and in the state league.”

When asked about nine women’s team’s withdrawal from the IWL-2 this season, revealing their inability to pay Rs 50 thousand to the AIFF, Praveen explained, “Today, in a household, the earning is made not only by husband. His wife also works to mount up earning. Similarly, AIFF could have generated more money from sponsorship apart from the money it gets from its marketing partner. In that case, they could have provided financial grant to those clubs willing to field their women’s teams despite financial crisis."

He continued, "But Federation does not have the rights to bring in additional sponsorship separately. If an ISL team can generate Rs 30 to 35 crores cannot AIFF build up its financial strength from additional sponsorship? They surely can. But due to agreement with the marketing partner the AIFF cannot do this.”

He continued, “AIFF made the blunder by going into the 15-year-agreement years ago and the clubs are also suffering for that.” 

Meanwhile, the club’s top brass is unlikely to retain the existing foreigners in the next season. Gokulam FC missed the bus for the ISL next season, finishing in the second spot in the I-League this season. It is learned that the club is planning to build up a fresh team along with a new coach.