Sudeep Pakrashi:
Rajasthan United FC, the I-League team that finished in the fifth position in the League last season, has set a vision for the next five years. The club’s key purpose is to build up a senior squad which will have most of the potential footballers, explored and nurtured from its academy.
The club has already been running a state-of-the-art academy in Jaipur, built on 17 acres of land, which got a three-star accreditation from the All India Football Federation. The academy has two full-sized international grounds, training pitches, and all other modern amenities, and two hostels where nearly 600 boys can stay. The academy is already nurturing the youth development program, starting from 13 years to 17 years, where the 17-year-old and post-17-year-old potential footballers can be promoted to the reserve senior squad.
Rajasthan United FC has already conducted selection trials across a few states like Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu to explore and scout talented kids.
The club recently took a drive with the same purpose in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the first time by any Indian football club are which became the first Indian professional football club to have conducted a selection trial with the age-group players (from under-13 to under-17) has plans to run a long-term grass-route and youth development program in the island.
The club, which also has a community development program, is already in the process of discussing with the schools in the islands and then wants to introduce a permanent coaching program.
One of the club’s senior executives revealed, “Our key purpose is to explore and nurture talented youth and then make them a quality footballer for the senior team. Three footballers from our academy have represented the under-20 SAFF-winning Indian team. So, we can find potential footballers in numbers, then quality will automatically come up.”
The club is also in talks with a couple of top academies in Germany and Spain for the education of its coaches as well as for the ultimate development of its academy boys through exchange.
