U-15 footballers from Manipur to leave for Germany

IMPHAL: Northeast India and its pool of talent are numerous, fifteen U-15 football players from Manipur were selected by the TATA Trusts and U Sports for a premier collaborative football training programme in Germany.

Biswanath Sinha, associate director, Tata Trusts expressed optimism that the young players selected 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.

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 added.

The Trust has also opened 60 centres in Mizoram to train young talents at the grassroots level in collaboration with the Mizoram Government.

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 such as Kiran Khongsai, Renedy, Gouramangi, Chitrasen.

A total of 80 boys from the Northeastern States will be sent for the six years training in Germany. Among them, 15 and 17 players are from Manipur and Mizoram respectively.