Lok Sabha Question No. 3902 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-18
Subject: Football Talent
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: Gangasandra Siddappa Basavaraj

## Government of India Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Department of Sports

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3902

## TO BE ANSWERD ON 18.03.2021

## Football Talent

3902. SHRI G.S. BASAVARAJ:

Will  the  Minister  of  YOUTH  AFFAIRS  AND  SPORTS  be  pleased  to state:

- (a)  whether  in  the  Indian  Premier  Football  League  competitions clubs often hire players from abroad specially from Africa which has surfeit of football talent to be sold abroad;
- (b)  whether  promising  football  talent  abundantly  available  in  the North  eastern  States  is  not  in  much  demand  as  the  players  from overseas and if so, the reasons therefor; and
- (c) whether the Government will come forward to establish soccer academies  in each of the North Eastern States specially in Meghalaya, Mizoram and Manipur so that these academies prepare and deliver budding soccer talents to major football league in the mainstream centres?

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

## ANSWER FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS [SHRI KIREN RIJIJU]

- (a) & (b): Promotion of specific sports discipline is the responsibility  of  the  concerned  National  Sports  Federation  (NSF). For promotion and development of sport of Football at national level the Government has recognized All India Football Federation (AIFF) as  the  NSF.    As  per  AIFF,  it  is  a  common  practice  globally  where foreign  players  are  drafted  in  teams.  However,  recently  there  has

been huge reduction in appearances in the Indian National Football League  (I-League) and  Indian Super  League  (ISL) as per the tournament regulations in hiring the foreign players by the clubs and there  are  more  Indian  players  in  the  teams  than  the  foreigners. Mostly  the  clubs  rely  on  players  coming  from  the  north  eastern States. The players from north eastern States are part of the leading ISL / I-League clubs and also of National teams / Academies of AIFF.

- (c) Under the Khelo India - National Programme for Development of Sports, various initiatives have been undertaken to setup training facilities across India including the north eastern States. Academies are accredited for support under the vertical 'Support for National/Regional/State Academies'. The following accredited academies having football discipline under the Khelo India Scheme are operational in north eastern States:-

| State   | Accredited Academies                    |
|---------|-----------------------------------------|
| Assam   | National Centre of Excellence, Guwahati |
| Manipur | National Centre of Excellence, Imphal   |

Apart  from  this,  the  following  Khelo  India  Centres  (KICs)  are operational  in  the  north  eastern  States  for  various  disciplines including football:

| State             | Name of KICs in football discipline                                                                 |
|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Arunachal Pradesh | (i) Changlang District, Miao, Changlang (ii) Independent Golden Jubilee HS School, Passighat, Siang |
| Manipur           | Th. Birachandra Singh Football Academy, Imphal                                                      |
| Nagaland          | Greenwood School, Village Kuda, Nagarjan, Dimapur                                                   |
| Tripura           | Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, Khumulwng                                         |

****