Bhubaneswar: Indian Super League (ISL) side Odisha FC announced that it about to partner with an NGO called Youth For Sustainability (YfS) for developing football at the grassroots level by touring different parts of Odisha. YfS is a vertical under the Human Circle Foundation and has been active in a lot of youth-centric social activities.
Grassroot development is an important aspect of nurturing young talented footballers hence OFC and YfS will together visit different hotspots in various parts of the state and conduct grassroots programs.
They would also provide footballing equipments to the local football clubs there and trained coaches will demonstrate how to use those equipments. After this the promising footballers will be scouted from those hotspots and will also be called up for Odisha FC’s youth team camps.
“Odisha FC’s partnership with YfS underlines our desire for unearthing the best potential talent in the state. We are hoping to ride on their enthusiasm and shared ideals in order to reach out deep into the bowels of Odisha and prise out a robust conveyor belt of local prodigies. This partnership reaffirms our commitment towards youth in the state and our philosophy of providing an opportunity to the best budding talents,” OFC’s Head of Football Operations Abhik Chatterjee said.
Grassroots Manager Suvam Das also shedded some light on this and said, “We are happy with this collaboration with YfS. This association will definitely be fruitful for us as well as for football development in Odisha. We have the vision to promote and improve the quality of football in every corner of the State, starting with 15 hotspots. We can make a difference through the OFC Grassroots Tour.”
Kamal Prakash Seth, Co-founder of the Human Circle told, “This collaboration is a unique opportunity for both the organisations to reach out to the communities at the grassroots level and encourage them to participate in environment friendly activities. Football as a game is a great equaliser and it will help in bringing all the relevant stakeholders under one umbrella.”
Punyasloka Pandawho is the National Coordinator, Youth for Sustainability stated, “We call it the Medici effect. The collaboration between a football club and a youth-led initiative for Sustainable Development Goals speaks in volumes of the impact that we wish to make. I have learnt life skills from football, I made my best of friends for life on the ground and now I am working for a cause through the spirit of football. What else could be better?”
