J&K preferred venue for training of Indian Colts Football Team

Making history again, the J&K Sports Council is once again gearing up to organize dual events for the India U-17 National Team camp, which will participate in the SAFF U-17 Championship, followed by AFC U-17 Championship Qualifiers in September and October. respectively.
While thanking the J&K Sports Council and the Union Territory administration, a communiqué from the All-India Football Federation expressed its gratitude for hosting and providing the best possible facilities to the training camp of the India U-16 National Team in Srinagar last year in August. The team had trained under the tutelage of J&K’s famous footballer Ishfaq Ahmad, who was nominated as the team’s head coach for the SAFF U-16 Championship held in Thimphu, Bhutan in September 2023, in which India U- 16 team won the title. title.
The initiatives and assistance received for the development of Indian football and the impact of the national camps in J&K as acclimatization had helped the team immensely and earned applause from all quarters.
The AIFF has requested from the first week of June this year for the arrangement of accommodation and boarding facilities as well as transportation for a contingent of 42 members comprising 35 players and 7 officials.
To get the teams trained for the international events, Ishfaq Ahmed has been appointed as the Head Coach of the team.
The J&K earlier had the reputation of hosting only the Santosh Trophy, Federation Cup and Hero I-League matches, but due to several factors including the training and acclimatization factors, the venue is quickly turning into the preferred venue.
The head coach of the twin camps Ishfaq Ahmed said, “Organizing camps in Srinagar is a unique opportunity to organize National Camps one after another and make it a routine affair for the Union Territory, which will not only benefit the local footballers will give a boost, but at the same time it will also instill new energy in the young people who would like to take up the business.
“In view of the growth of football and the involvement of youth in the game in the region, which enjoys numero-uno status due to its great popularity, the focus on its grassroots and professional aspects will open a new chapter add football history. of J&K,” said Nuzhat Gull Secretary J&K Sports Council.
The J&K is known for producing great footballers and among the recent players, Mohammad Hamad who played for Real Kashmir FC and Muheet Shabir of the J&K Sports Council Football Academy were awarded the Best Defender and the Best Goalkeeper respectively in the recently held Indian League -tournament.