Hitesh, a founding member of #Ikf, Indian Khelo Football, shared his experience of starting to play football when the English #premierleague became popular in #india . He then went on to establish his own club and later an academy to support the club's expenses. Hitesh's involvement in the club and academy evolved from being a player to managing the #club and #academy.
Hitesh emphasized upon the growth and challenges of Indian football, particularly the Indian Khelo Football (Ikf) and its talent scouting initiative. He also highlighted the potential of football in India, especially at the grassroots level, and the need for a structured career pathway for #grassroots #footballers. Lastly, they shared their ongoing programs, the potential for collaboration, and the plans for the upcoming #football season.
Key Activities at IKF:
• IKF team actively reaches out to clubs and share player lists based on their talent requirements.
• IKF accelerates scouting operations to 100 cities in the upcoming season.
• IKF strengthens collaborations with global companies to improve scouting processes and player showcasing.
• IKF continues organizing workshops with Premier League Academy scouts for player assessment and international opportunities.
• IKF also explores partnerships with Indian universities to create competitive football leagues at the university level.
Scouting in India: Talent Identification and Process
Hitesh Said the early stages of #scouting in India, the process is still in its infancy and is primarily conducted by coaches. He defined scouting as talent identification, which can vary depending on the requirements or benchmarks set. Hitesh further elaborated that the output of the scouting process also depends on the level of scouting, with tactical scouting yet to come. He concluded that the art of scouting involves a mix of #science , benchmarks, and gut feeling.
+++Indian Khelo Football Initiative
Indian Khelo Football (Ikf) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2019. Hitesh explained that Ikf was established to create a structured career pathway for grassroot footballers in India, aiming to connect them to professional football. The organization started its activities on January 16, 2021, with the goal of reaching multiple cities and villages.
Talent Scouting Initiative Expansion Discussed
Hitesh explained the growth of their talent scouting initiative, which has expanded from 17 cities in the first season to 58 cities in the third, with over 10,000 players participating. They aim to touch base in 100 cities in the fourth season. The initiative aims to connect talented players with clubs and academies, without acting as a player management company or agent. Hitesh also claimed the potential of integrating players from diverse regions into their sports ecosystem, which they found exceptional and rare in the Indian sports context, particularly in football.
Overcoming Challenges in First Season
Siddharth and Hitesh discussed the challenges faced during the first season of their project. Hitesh explained the difficulties in communicating the idea and convincing people of the project's sustainability. They also discussed the challenges of not being part of the ecosystem and having to understand and adapt to it. Additionally, they talked about the difficulties in balancing scouting and entertainment, and the long process of building a scouting ecosystem from scratch. Despite these challenges, they were able to overcome them with the help of international partners and dedicated team members.
Creating Pan-India Football Platform Challenges and Strategies
Hitesh also mentioned the challenges and strategies involved in creating a pan-India platform for football. He highlighted the need to adapt to the diverse business practices and perceptions across different districts in India. He also emphasized the importance of building and sustaining a network of partners at the regional level. His team initially underestimated the popularity and potential of football at the grassroots level in India. He also shared a surprising experience where they were invited to a district football league competition in a previously overlooked area, which led to a successful turnout of more than 250 players.
Organizing Workshops for Indian Athletes Abroad
Hitesh explained that his team organize workshops and a student-athlete program with US universities to guide Indian athletes pursuing careers abroad. The success of their recent trials workshop which received exceptional results. Hitesh stressed the importance of competitive matches at the university level for athletes to showcase their skills. He further explained the potential for a similar system in Indian universities, providing sports scholarships and competitive leagues.
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18 сен 2024
