Heartening to see so much hunger, skill, passion in youth: Subrata Paul

Subrata Paul

The country's top teenage football talent was on view at the recent Dream Sports Championship U-17 National Finals at the Raia Sports Complex in Goa where Jharkhand FA beat Odisha FA 1-0 to win the girls' title while Punjab FC defended the boys' title with a 2-0 victory over Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

Anamika Singh scored the winner for Jharkhand FC while Subham Gurung and Ashish Lohar were the scorers for Punjab FC.

Former India goalkeeper and recently appointed Director of the national team, Subrata Paul, was among the guests at the event and was impressed with what he saw.

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A good platform to shine

"The U-17 Nationals is a wonderful initiative. It gives young players a valuable platform to showcase their talent, gain experience and learn what it takes to compete at a higher level," Paul, 38, who played 67 matches for India, told mid-day.

"The young talent here is extremely promising. It's heartening to see the hunger, skill, and passion these boys and girls bring to the pitch. With the right guidance and continued support, many of them have the potential to become future stars of Indian football," added Paul, who earned the nickname of Spiderman for his brilliant performance in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. He stressed on the importance of development at the grassroot level.

"Development at the grassroot forms the foundation of any successful footballing nation. It's at this stage that young players begin to develop their habits, discipline, and fundamental skills. If we can consistently and systematically invest in this level, we will see rewards in the near future," said the ex-India custodian, suggesting how the system should go about identifying and training young talent.

"To strengthen football at the grassroot level, we need a well-structured, long-term approach. We need qualified coaches at every stage, regular competitions for all age groups, a strongscouting system, and educational support alongside football development. Collaboration among schools, clubs, and academies is also key," said Paul.

Able leadership

"It's important to reach out to rural areas, where there's so much untapped talent that remains unseen. Under AIFF President, Kalyan Chaubey, we have initiated this process and are hopeful that our efforts will bring positive results for Indian football in future," Paul signed off.