The tournament nurtures potential football stars by providing them with a platform and an opportunity to develop their inherent talent into a real-life profession. As a company which has a worldwide focus on football we firmly believe that Indian football has huge potential. By supporting AIFF in this tournament, we are tapping young football talent to train them on par with international football standards.
In 2013, the program saw active participation of 41,760 young footballers from 2,610 schools across 86 cities. The National U-16 Soccer team of India is drawn up from the talent pool of this tournament. Furthermore, this is a chance for some exceptionally talented players, who will be absorbed by AIFF FIFA academy, to train at world class academies and become a part of the talent pipeline for the future. It’s not just a quest of Trophy or the Cup that these young talented footballers look forward to, but also a chance to receive world class training and exposure.
Undoubtedly, this is India’s biggest and most inspiring Grassroots Sports program and a step towards providing these soccer heroes “An experience that money can’t buy”. The tournament turned into a runaway success, with more than 2,000 schools and 40,000 players across 76 cities and 27 states participating in 2011 – the biggest pan-India competition of its nature.
The success of the initial program convinced the AIFF to renew its partnership deal with Coca-Cola for another six years, leading up to 2017 when the U-17 World Cup is scheduled to be held in India. Under the new agreement, the championship would now be known as “The Coca-Cola Cup”, and the aim of the project is to create the next generation of top Indian footballers.
Through their flagship tournament, Coca-Cola intend to complement the AIFF’s efforts to find and nurture the best talent that the country has to offer and to funnel it into the U-17 team for the World Cup in 2017. This grassroots development program undertaken by Coca-Cola is a fantastic means of finding the right talent and nurturing it to its potential.
Not only does grassroots development help teenagers make their dreams come true, it is also a fantastic way of creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The benefits of football training every week can be felt for years to come, as the body and mind become tuned to exercise and hard work. Sports training from an early age helps youngsters achieve focus and concentration, all the while improving their physical attributes as well.
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