Mohun Bagan launches football academy

Aiming to groom talented youngsters, Mohun Bagan launched its residential football academy in Durgapur, West Bengal on Saturday.

A joint venture between the current National Football League champions and SAIL subsidiary Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP), the academy is the first of its kind in the country involving a top-notch soccer club.

Under the agreement, DSP would provide infrastructure facilities while Bagan would meet the costs to run the academy providing for food and lodging of the budding footballers and coaches.

The salaries of the coaches and maintenance of the facilities would also be taken care of by the soccer club.

The Mohun Bagan SAIL Football Academy is taking shape on a sprawling area licensed free of cost by DSP to Bagan for six years after which the agreement could be renewed.

"This is the first soccer academy in the country set up and run by a club. The Tata Football Academy in Jamshedpur was established by a business house," Mitra said after the function.

However, much of the groundwork for the academy is yet to be done with its authors yet to finalise the name of the coach or the trainees. 40 trainees, equally divided into two age groups (under 13 and 15 years), would be chosen for the academy.

Mitra said a committee comprising celebrated football coaches and former national players would conduct countrywide trials to spot the talented youngsters who would be initially trained for two months to gauge their aptitude and potential.

Successful candidates would be given long-term contracts for 10-12 years, Mitra said. The names of the talent scouters would be announced later.

A 22-room DSP guest house has been converted into a full-fledged hostel for trainees. The academy also has a swimming pool and a modern multigym. It will also make exclusive use of a DSP gree-hour practice sessions.