Reliance Foundation Youth Sports Season begins
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, November 18 2024: The seventh season (2024/25) of Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS), India's leading age-group football tournament focused on grassroots and youth development, kicked off simultaneously in Mizoram, Chennai, and Kerala on Monday.

As per a release, this season will feature competitions across nine age categories for boys and girls, including the newly introduced U-7, U-9, U-11, and U-13 age groups.

Organised by Reliance Foundation, the CSR arm of Reliance Industries Ltd, RFYS offers high-level competition and enhanced playing time, while prioritising inclusivity and growth in women's football.

This season will span more than 24 districts nationwide, covering regions identified for their football potential and engaging schools, clubs, and academies to strengthen India's football ecosystem.

Regarding season, Indian women defender Loitongbam Ashalata Devi said, "Women's football has seen incredible growth in participation in recent years, with the numbers increasing every season.

Initiatives like RFYS are a significant step forward for grassroots football in India, providing equal opportunities for both boys and girls" .

"With the introduction of new age categories, it is creating a pathway for the next generation to dream big and start early.

It gives me joy to see the increased competitive game time for girls each season, as it will contribute to building a larger pool of talent for the national team.

RFYS is a key vital initiative, and it's inspiring to see more girls embracing the sport," she added.

RFYS is deeply committed to the idea of providing India's young footballers with a high level of competition as well as increased playing time while making increased participation and representation of women a key priority, the release mentioned.

Some of the key highlights of this season are creating a structured pathway for India's aspiring footballers from U-7 to U-19, focus on talent hotspots with RFYS covering more than 24 districts of the country that have been identified after extensive research as the areas with the most potential to produce quality Indian footballers and extensive scouting system that will see information about the most talented players being shared with over 75 clubs and academies in India to give the players the best chance of achieving their dream of becoming a professional football player.

The release further informed that the U-7 to U-13 categories will see teams play more than 20 matches, while the corresponding number will be around 10-12 matches on an average for the U-15 to U-19 age groups.

RFYS will be working in close collaboration with state football associations and clubs across the country and will partner with them to further strengthen the ecosystem.

Apart from this, there will be exclusive workshops and training sessions to upskill match officials as well as coaches who are a part of the tournament that will be held through the course of the season.

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