Mumbai Rush’s academy players making Nation proud

by Siddharth Yadav June 9, 2016

Mumbai Rush Soccer Club was formed in the year 2012 to provide development to aspiring footballers across the city of dreams. It is one of the first AIFF (All India Football Federation) academy in India and has the distinction of being the only accredited academy from Maharashtra to be selected to participate in the inaugural edition of AIFF Youth League in 2015.

Being affiliated with AIFF (All India Football Federation), MDFA (Mumbai District Football Association) and WIFA (Western Indian Football Association), MRSC’s mission is to develop players who can reach success in the game of football, and to represent India internationally.

They have been providing necessary infrastructure, professional cultures that have produced success in Europe and in the US where have organized youth development leagues for players aged between 7 and 18.

Among the players MRSC has produced, Sacred Heart Boys High School’s player Ridge D’Mello and former student of St. Xavier’s College – Siddesh Iyer has already made India proud after their immense contribution in sports.

Ridge D’Mello – Ever since joining the academy in 2012, Ridge has won the scholarship for being the best player at Mumbai Rush Champions league’12 and is training under scholarship at Mumbai Rush Soccer Club, since 2012. His prolific performance in the league and consistency has made him a huge prospect.

Ridge has represented Sacred Heart Boys High School (Santacruz) at MSSA (Mumbai School Sports Association) and also captained Mumbai and Maharashtra in the recently concluded Sub Juniors tournament. He was also Mumbai’s top scorer in Inter-District Sub Juniors Championship and led his side all the way to the final, where they lost out to Pune in the penalties.

In a recently concluded AFC U14 Football Festival 2016 in Tajikistan, Ridge proudly represented India.

Since MRSC’s inception, whose initiative has unearthed and provided scholarship to talented players like Hamza, who has been training and playing in USA, Shane who has just recently received a 15 days international training trip, Cornelius who was the captain of the Mumbai team and partnered Ridge in the Maharashtra Sub Junior, the future seems bright.

Siddesh Iyer – Siddesh, an ex-Geology student of St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai has represented Mumbai Rush in the 3^rd division of Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA).

Siddesh has been trained under Mumbai Rush International coaches in India and as well as in USA.

He was unfortunate to get involved in a string of football related injuries which saw his hand fractured and a ligament tear forced the highly motivated player to quit football. But the never say die attitude of a passionate sportsman led him to quit Geology to purse Sports Management in United Kingdom (UK).

Siddesh has been recently awarded the half colour for his outstanding voluntary contribution to Northumbria University in Sports during 2015-16. Siddesh has stepped up and performed whenever it mattered, such massive passion about the beautiful game has made him a mature player.

This is just the start of Mumbai Rush Soccer Club, in the coming years there will be definitely huge number of prospects in India to watch out for. Such initiative must be carried out by other clubs too in India, this will not only help the young players to develop, but it will also promote grassroots programmes.