More than 250 kids celebrate football in the Mumbai FC and CSL organized Grassroot Festival

by Kaushal Shukla May 16, 2015

Over 250 kids poured in at the Back Garden’s ground in Colaba for the Football Grassroot Festival jointly organized by Mumbai F.C. and Colaba Super League on the occasion of Asian Football Confederation’s Grassroor Day on 15th May 2015.

The kids which were divided in three categories based on their age were further diversified into batches which occupied six different pitches with each pitch providing them with an activity which combined skills like teamwork, co-ordination with loads of fun.

The event ensured the young kids received technical guidance wherever required with every pitch controlled by a Head Coach of a CSL team, with other volunteers for their assistance.

The kids had a lovely time taking part in some highly enthralling activities on show. The credit for organizing such an event with a perfect combination of skill and joy must go to Mumbai F.C and Colaba Super League.

Event in-charge and the Head of Youth Development at Mumbai F.C, Mr. Kundan Chandra highlighted the need to induce a love for the game through these fun activities. “Events like these help attract your attention towards the game. The various activities are fun-filled and make and hence get those kids interested in the game, they become passionate as they have enjoyed it and experienced the fun in it”.

The Mumbai FC Assistant coach was also quick to point at the different games organized for the kids and spoke about how it helps in building in them all the right values needed by a footballer. “All these games that we have organized are not totally related to football, but they build important qualities like team work, decision making, agility and most importantly co-ordination”.

“These kids have come from different parts and are strangers to each other, so these games bring out their co-ordination abilities. They are helping each other out, working off each other and there is a social bonding that is taking place. All these are extremely important aspects for a successful footballer”, said the highly satisfied looking Kundan Chandra.

He continued to highlight the significance of such events and his club’s role in conducting such events on a regular basis. “Grassroot festivals achieve a lot in a short space of time. In these three hours so many kids have come here and learnt so many important aspects of football without actually playing it while still developing a passion for it. It’s difficult to get 250 kids play football matches in such short span and on one pitch so events like these serves everyone well”.

“Mumbai FC being an I-League club, look forward to organizing more such events and a couple of them are planned in the near future. This also aids us to build a strong youth system at our club”, said Kundan Chandra on Mumbai FC’s role in youth development.

The Mumbai FC assistant coach’s views were echoed by Sudhakar Rane who is in-charge of operations for the Colaba Super League. He was delighted with the turnout for the festival and felt encouraged to conduct more such events. “I am pleasantly surprised to see such a big turnout for this festival despite this being our first year. Such a high level of interest shown by these young kids in football has really encouraged us to plan more such events in the future for these kids”.

The Western India Football Association also held a successful grassroot festival earlier in the day at Cooperage.

AFC’s Grassroot Day got a resounding response from Mumbai yesterday with Mumbai City FC also joining in on the efforts with their own festival. Great times lie ahead for Mumbai football.