Bhubaneswar : Odisha FC announced on Wednesday ( September 1) that they have a three year partnership signed with Watford F.C. The Premier League club, will associate and cover various footballing and non-footballing aspects. This will be a mutually beneficial association for both the clubs.
The association will be a great advantage as this system will help build a healthy footballing ecosystem in Odisha, as reported coaches from Watford will help them set up youth systems and the players who will belong to the Elite Youth System will get to train with Watford’s first or academy team. This will help in development of grassroot football.
Beside the development of grassroot football, this will provide a huge exposure to the young talents. Other than developing the youth, they will also work towards developing the women’s football in the state and all over India, by arranging matches between their women’s teams.
As a part of this association, the players of Odisha will get a chance to travel and train at the facilities of Watford F.C as a pre-season regimen and also play friendly matches in England. Watford will help in the selection of players, coaching and support staff and also in the technical and tactical area, thus improving the game.
Talking about this partnership, Odisha FC’s president Raj Athwal said,”We are excited and proud to announce a unique partnership with English Premier League club Watford FC. With both clubs looking to grow their brands globally, the partnership provides a unique platform to not only share best practices in all areas of our club but enhance the development of future players.
“We are excited at the prospect of working with Watford FC’s coaches with a view to establishing a residential academy in Odisha, providing a conveyer belt of footballers who will one day proudly adorn the club colours and, as part of their development, have the opportunity to train at Watford’s esteemed academy too.
He added: “For the Odisha supporters, there is the exciting prospect of potentially loaning players from Watford FC and, equally, players from Odisha FC can be scouted to play in the English leagues.”
Watford FC’s commercial director Paul O’Brien said of the partnership: “This is something really quite different and we love to get involved in new things that provide really different experiences for the club and our staff.
“Partnering with Odisha FC gives us a chance to get a real insight into football’s global appeal and affords us a great chance to share learnings with a similarly ambitious club.
“Learning more about India and exploring its cultural richness and passion for sport is something we’re all looking forward to doing right away.”
