India Khelo Football Season 2 Trials: 150-plus kids perform in front of ISL, ILeague and international scouts

The
event
witnessed
the
participation
of
over
5000
kids
from
40
cities
and
villages
across
India,
­­­­­­­making
it
the
biggest
football
trial
in
the
country.

IKF’s
mission
is
to
democratise
talent
identification
and
subsequent
selections
at
the
grassroots
level,
making
it
a
mega
placement
drive
for
aspiring
football
players.
For
Season
2,
IKF
selected
120
kids
with
exceptional
talent
performing
in
front
of
10+
ISL,
I-League,
and
international
scouts.

The
scouts
included
ProSoccerGlobal,
Sportsmate
360,
Mumbai
City
FC,
Goa
FC,
Kerala
Blasters,
Minerva,
Sudeva,
Delhi
FC,
Techtro
Swades,
Roundglass
Punjab,
Gokulam
Kerala,
Alpha
Sports
Academy,
Mata
Rani
FC,
Jamshedpur
FC,
and
Himachal
FC.

The
national
finals
were
held
on
February
18,
2023,
at
Mahamaya
Stadium.
The
trails
welcomed
boys
and
girls
(u-15
and
u-17)
from
all
kinds
of
backgrounds,
casts,
creeds,
and
colours
bonded
on
the
field
for
the
love
of
football.

The
results
of
selected
kids
will
be
announced
within
the
next
3
weeks.
Footwear
Design
and
Development
Institute
became
the
category
sponsor
with
Viva
Football,
Anant
Computing,
and
My
First
Kick.
The
National
Finals
held
a
ProSoccer
Global
workshop
where
kids
enrolled
to
get
a
wild-card
entry
into
the
Pre-Finals.

IKF’s
scouting
process
goes
through
multiple
phases
with
a
repository
of
data
on
player
analytics
devised
with
up
to
25
attributes,
that
can
be
easily
accessed
by
scouts
and
players.
Their
seamless
process
of
scouting
ensures
that
the
best
players
are
identified
and
given
an
equal
opportunity
to
showcase
their
talent.

Celebrating
the
success
of
the
biggest
football
trials
in
India,
Hitesh
Joshi
and
Phani
Bhushan,
Founding
Members
of
India
Khelo
Football
said,
“We
are
extremely
excited
for
Season
3
of
India
Khelo
Football
Trials,
after
a
spectacular
response
of
Season2.
We
would
like
to
express
our
heartfelt
gratitude
to
our
Regional
Execution
Partners,
the
entire
IKF
team,
the
dedicated
volunteers,
our
sponsors,
and
most
importantly,
the
talented
kids
and
supportive
football
communities
across
India.
It
is
your
trust
and
commitment
towards
our
vision
of
creating
a
democratized
platform
for
aspiring
football
players
that
provides
them
with
national
and
international
exposure,
that
keeps
us
motivated
to
push
the
boundaries
of
what
is
possible.
We
cannot
wait
to
see
what
the
future
holds
for
Indian
football,
and
we
are
honoured
to
be
a
part
of
this
incredible
journey.”

Excited
to
witness
the
raw
talent
and
scout
exceptional
kids,
Jimmy
Hayes
and
Chris
McGrath,
Co-Founders
of
ProSoccer
Global
said,
“We
are
incredibly
impressed
with
the
exceptional
talent
we
witnessed
at
the
India
Khelo
Football
Trials.
The
initiative
has
done
an
outstanding
job
of
filtering
and
identifying
talented
players
from
across
the
country.
We
are
grateful
for
the
opportunity
to
come
to
India
and
witness
the
incredible
pool
of
footballing
talent
that
exists
here.
The
kids
we
met
during
the
trials
have
shown
exceptional
skill
and
dedication
to
the
game,
and
we
believe
that
with
the
right
training
and
guidance,
they
have
the
potential
to
reach
the
professional
football
ecosystem.

“India
being
a
country
with
a
large
football
fan
base,
we
believe
that
this
initiative
will
help
raise
the
bar
and
bring
Indian
football
to
the
international
stage.
We
would
like
to
commend
India
Khelo
Football
for
their
efforts
in
providing
a
platform
for
aspiring
football
players
and
wish
them
all
the
best
in
their
future
endeavours.”

Adding
to
the
excitement,
Arun
Kumar
Sinha,
IAS,
Managing
Director
at
FDDI
said,
“We
at
FDDI]
are
delighted
to
be
associated
with
India
Khelo
Football,
a
non-profit
organisation
that
is
tirelessly
working
towards
levelling
the
playing
field
and
promoting
football
at
the
grassroots
level
in
India.
We
applaud
their
efforts
to
bring
exposure
to
the
budding
talents
in
the
country
and
provide
them
with
a
platform
to
showcase
their
skills.
We
wish
them
all
the
best
for
the
next
season
and
are
proud
to
be
the
category
sponsor
for
this
noble
cause.

“It’s
heartening
to
see
such
initiatives
being
taken
up
by
passionate
individuals
who
are
driven
by
the
love
for
the
game
and
the
desire
to
make
a
difference
in
the
lives
of
young
athletes.
We
believe
that
it’s
essential
for
the
government
and
other
corporations
to
support
and
encourage
such
initiatives
that
have
the
potential
to
change
the
sports
landscape
in
India.
Together,
let’s
work
towards
nurturing
and
empowering
the
next
generation
of
footballers
in
our
country.”

In
2021,
in
spite
of
the
Covid
pandemic,
IKF
Season
1
took
place
in
17
cities
and
towns
across
India
and
unearthed
some
excellent
football
talent,
from
Ladakh
to
Trivandrum,
and
from
Imphal
to
Ahmedabad.

It
was
followed
by
the
National
Final
where
kids
selected
from
17
cities
were
present
with
Scouts
from
ISL
Clubs,
I
League
Clubs
and
International
academies.
Over
20+
selections
were
made
by
Indian
Clubs,
and
IKF
also
selected
the
7
best
young
footballers
who
will
go
to
Spain
for
club
trials,
free
of
cost.

The
Season
2
National
Finals
began
with
a
curtain
raiser
for
the
upcoming
season
with
a
15-minute
match
played
by
u-10
age
group
girls
as
a
message
of
inclusivity
in
and
for
the
game
while
inculcating
the
spirit
of
sportsmanship
and
the
game
in
our
daily
lives.

With
the
successful
completion
of
IKF
Season
2
National
Finals,
IKF
aims
to
create
a
pipeline
of
untapped
talent,
bringing
India
to
the
international
football
stage.

Source:
Media
Release