FC Goa prodigy called up by India U-15 for overseas exposure trip

by Vineet Varma January 7, 2019

Goa, January 7, 2019: FC Goa youngster Leewan Castana has been called up to India’s U-15 team to participate  in an exposure trip in Dubai. The student of St Rita’s High School (Curtorim) has played for the club in various age groups since he was 11.

He helped the U-14 team finish second in the 2015/16 GFA U-14 league. He was later promoted to the U-16 set up (in 2017/18). He also helped the U-15 team qualify for the second round of last season’s U-15 I-League.

Derrick Pereira (Director of Football, FC Goa) waxed eloquent about the boy’s talent: “We have high hopes with Leewan. He has been a shining example of what we are trying to build at the grassroots level at FC Goa. He is one of the brightest prospects we have in our ranks. Leewas has been with us since the beginning of our youth program and has showed real promise. He possesses good technique and we all admire the fact that he is not afraid to express himself when on the ball. That is something we all try and encourage in our youngsters. Above all, he has great character and is a real team player. He has played across the front-line, in midfield and even in defence when the team requires him to.”

Gavin Araujo (youth coach, FC Goa) also replied in the affirmative: “He has time and again shown maturity beyond his years and this really doesn’t take us by surprise. He has been playing in the U-16’s for us even though he is still eligible for the U-14’s. He joined us in 2015 when our youth program kicked off and has progressed up the ranks ever since. He is hard-working and diligent. He has made us proud and we are confident that he will confident to do so in the days.”

FC Goa is a professional football club that plays in the Indian Super League (ISL). It is co-owned by Mr Jaydev Mody, Mr Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Mr Ashish Kapadia, Mr Akshay Tandon and Mr Virat Kohli. Mandar Rao Desai, Princeton Rebello and Manvir Singh (who have played for the senior India team) are the notable names to have emerged from the club’s stables. It has reached the semifinals of the ISL twice and appeared in the final in 2015. It is currently the highest scoring team in ISL history.

FC GOA MEDIA

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