MANCHESTER UNITED are working to uncover football talent from South Asia, a region with nearly 1.6 billion people and a long-standing passion for the sport but no representation in England's Premier League.
Through the 'United We Play' initiative, organised in partnership with Apollo Tyres, six young players from India, Nepal, Thailand, and the UAE trained at Old Trafford last week. The participants, selected from an initial pool of 15,000, honed their skills under the guidance of Manchester United coaches.
Nick Cox, Manchester United’s Director of Academy, highlighted the importance of opportunities in nurturing talent. "I’m a big believer that the most important part of talent development is opportunity," Cox said. "I hope this programme is inspiring young people, and that they realise what they’re trying to achieve is possible and real."
The programme, now in its fourth edition, began a year ago in Kolkata, India, with former United player Louis Saha launching the initiative. The final selection process took place in Chandigarh in October, overseen by former United captain Gary Neville.
Former United defender John O’Shea, who worked with the players during the programme, emphasised the value of resilience.
"This is a brilliant opportunity for these young kids to experience what it takes to get to the top," O’Shea said. "Seeing the team train under tough conditions will help to build their resilience, a quality they’ll need if they want to get into the professional leagues."
More than 100 coaches from India and other countries also took part in Manchester United’s United Soccer Schools training sessions.
Despite its large population and interest in football, India has yet to make a mark on the global stage. The national men’s team is currently ranked 125th in the world and has never participated in a World Cup.
India’s football history includes highlights like winning gold at the Asian Games in 1951 and 1962 and finishing fourth at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. More recently, Sunil Chhetri signed with Kansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer in 2010, though he did not play for the first team. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu also had a stint with Norwegian club Stabaek.
To build on this legacy, the All India Football Federation launched its 'Vision 2047' initiative last year, aiming to rank among Asia’s top four nations and produce internationally renowned players in both men’s and women’s football by 2047.
While football’s popularity in India still lags behind cricket, events like the Kolkata derby, which draws 100,000 fans annually, reflect the sport’s potential.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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