For the first time ever, Sports Authority of India (SAI) is organizing under 17 (U-17) boys All India Regional Football Tournament to frame its own team at the national level. The four day event kicked off at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Football stadium on Sunday with seven zonal teams participating out of the nine teams all over India. Till date only the state unit teams of U-17 boys were performing in national tournaments.
States divided into East Zones, Bhopal, South Zone, Gauhati, Chandigarh, Goa and Manipur are performing at this selection trial meet wherein around 20 players from each team are trying their luck. “Overall 20 boys would be selected from here. As first attempt to showcase their SAI team skills, they are to represent at the under-19 BC Roy Football Trophy tournament which too would add state’s fortune as a national host,” said SAI Jharkhand Coordinator Sushil Kumar Verma.
However, Verma expressed his worry on the urgent repair of this classic football ground causing practice difficulties for the buddingfootballers. Considering this harsh reality, State Art, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs Secretary Vandana Dadel while inaugurating this event said, “Similar to hosting this sports meet, we hope to organize more number of national and international games at this stadium so that this infrastructure set up during organization of 34th National Games is maintained.”
“Our department looks forward of arranging the first ever match between Tata Football Academy and Rest of 11 Jharkhand football teams on the occasion of National Sports Day scheduled on August 29. A match between state government’s Sabla football team and Ormanjhi block’s Yuwa India girls who bagged bronze medal at Spain’s Victoria Gasteiz on July 13 is also listed along with Archery and Girls Hockey matches,” narrated Dadel.