Namdhari FC might be a debutant in the I-League 2023-24, starting their campaign against Churchill Brothers on Tuesday at home. But the club is not a stranger to Indian sports. The founder of their academy Sri Satguru Uday Singh, passionate about sports, introduced the Namdhari XI hockey team in 1975. 

The passion increased when Satguru Uday Singh, following a discussion with his core team launched a state-of-the-art Namdhari Sports Academy in Sri Bhaini Sahib, Punjab in 2018 where along with hockey and badminton football placed itself as the most important discipline. 

The key motive behind introducing football as the most important discipline of its academy and participation in the I-league is to recreate the supply line of footballers from Punjab. Club’s president Uttam Singh revealed, “Once Punjab produced a lot of footballers who glorified Indian football over the decades. But the flow has stopped in recent years. We are on a mission to rebuild the supply line. The boys who will be playing in the I-League are the reflection of our effort.”

In a bid to strengthen their academy, Namdhari FC has also some inspiring plans. 

The club secretary Sher Singh, a former hockey player divulged, “The people of our community are living all over the world, especially in Spain, Canada, and Australia. We have plans to introduce football schools in Spain and Australia. Then potential footballers from our main center in Bhaini Sahib will be sent to the schools in Australia and Spain."

He added, "Our football schools in Spain and Australia will have tie-ups with state-of-the-art academies and lower-division teams in both countries. We will try to give the performing footballers an exposure, helping them to sign for the respective teams to gain the best of the experience."

Namdhari Sports Academy has already introduced its branch in Sirsa in Punjab and is in the process of launching more centers across the country. 

In a bid to generate a fan base shortly, the club has also planned to start merchandising programs. President disclosed, "Our team has got a title sponsor, named Namdhari Seeds. Still, we will start merchandising programs from next year. This year, our focus is mainly on the team's performance. 

The club secretary sounded optimistic about the team's performance in the I-league. He explained, “We won the Punjab State League, winning consecutive 10 matches. Those boys will be playing in the I-league along with two foreign players. We have a deep religious belief.” 

The secretary asserted, "So, I believe that the players will not give up and fight till the last minute of every match." The management is also relying on their Spanish coach Francesc Bonet’s experience also.