Hyd footballers represent India in USA Young Tournament

Hyderabad: Five young footballers from Hyderabad — Akshaan, Aditya, Arjun, Jasim Nawaz Khan and Saif Qureshi — have brought international recognition to the city by representing India at an International Youth Football Tournament in Carolina, USA. Representing Grasshopper Sports India, the youngsters returned to Hyderabad after an eight-day international football tour.

The tournament featured youth teams from Brazil, Portugal, France, Italy, Japan, Ecuador, Norway, Sweden and the United States, providing the Hyderabad players an opportunity to compete against international opposition and experience different styles and standards of football.

Welcoming the players at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, Grasshopper Sports & Entertainment Managing Director Agha Muzaffar Uddin said the youngsters performed with commitment and confidence and gained valuable experience that would contribute to their development.

Grasshopper Sports & Entertainment said international exposure at a formative age can strengthen players’ confidence, discipline, competitive ability and understanding of the game. The organisation plans to identify and nurture more promising youngsters and create international opportunities for Indian footballers.

Hyderabad has a growing grassroots football ecosystem, with over 131 football academies, classes, coaching programmes and facilities across 50 localities. The Telangana Football Association has 90 approved clubs, 3,698 registered players, 258 coaches and 11 registered districts in the AIFF system. The recently established AIFF-FIFA Telangana Talent Academy is further strengthening pathways for promising players, adding momentum to Hyderabad’s emergence as a key centre for grassroots football development in Telangana.

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The Hans India