U-15 football players to leave for Germany today
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 12 2017: Fifteen U-15 football players from the State selected by the TATA Trusts and U Sports for a premier collaborative football training programme in Germany will leave the State tomorrow.

Addressing a press meet today at Hotel Classic Regency, here, Biswanath Sinha, Associate Director, Tata Trusts expressed optimism that the young players selected today will be able to make a mark in the FIFA World Cup 2026.It is with this long term vision that the players will be sent for training in Germany for six years.

U-15 football players to leave for Germany today

Biswanath said the joint initiative of Tata Trusts and U Sports is aimed at improving the standard of Indian football, providing opportunities to play in global football fields to talented Indian footballers and importantly, to ensure qualification of India in 2026 World Cup.

Under the project U Dream Football, young and talented footballers will be offered a unique opportunity to pursue a career as a professional footballer, he said.

Not only exploring talent at the grassroots level, the project also aims at offering international training and infrastructure support to help them advance as a professional footballer.

The Trust has also opened 60 centres in Mizoram to train young talents at the grassroots level in collaboration with the Mizoram Govt.Besides, further step for the promotion of football in Mizoram is in the offing including setting up of Centre of Excellence.

Pointing out that Tata Football Academy has been committed to the promotion of football in India, Biswanath said that the Academy has mentored and groomed some finest Indian footballers from Manipur like Kiran Khongsai, Renedy, Gouramangi, Chitrasen.

A total of 80 boys from the North Eastern States will be sent for the six years training in Germany.

Among them, 15 and 17 players are from Manipur and Mizoram respectively.

Biswanath also highlighted the initiatives taken up by the Trust in the State since the last eight years including the ones in the agriculture sector.

Representative from AMFA, N Jyotirmoy Roy, YA&S official Maniratan, selected players and their parents attended the press meet today.

The selected players are � Timothy Ginlianhau Tungnung (13), Ch Neilianthang Aimol (13), Ngambam Suraj Kumar (13), Sorokhaibam Punshiba (14), A Sanathoi (14), Golmei Apu Kabui (15), Md Jakir Khan (14), Naorem Kishan Singh (13), Telem Saphaba Singh (13), Ngairangbam Rakesh Singh (13), Chingkhosiam Dimngel (13), Sorokhaibam Robert (14), Lourembam Tenyson (13), Ningthoujam Bidyananda (13) and Ipham Imtiyas Khan (14) .