Indian U17 World Cup star to train at English Championship side Blackburn Rovers

Indian Under-17 World Cup star Aniket Jadhav will undergo a training spell at English Championship football club Blackburn Rovers Football Club. ‎Jadhav played in all three matches for India at FIFA Under-17 World Cup, held in his homeland, in October 2017.

Blackburn Rovers – one of only six Champions of the Premier League alongside Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Leicester City – are owned by Venkys London Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pune-based poultry conglomerate Venkateshwara Hatcheries Group (VH Group). After a tumultuous start to the decade which saw them get relegated from Premier League and then further down to league 1 (3rd tier of English football structure), the club is now back on track earning promotion to English Championship last season.

Jadhav will be the first Indian professional player to train in England at Blackburn Rovers’ Academy at Brockhall village, Lancashire. 

Mr. Balaji Rao, Owner of Blackburn Rovers Football Club, said: “We, as supporters of sport, especially football, want to help young Indian talent.Our Academy at Blackburn Rovers is one of the finest Category 1 Academy in the UK. This training stint will help Aniket to develop technically as a player, which will in turn contribute to the improvement of his performances on the pitch.We want to support young talented footballers in the best way possible to help improve the Indian national team’s performances and FIFA ranking on world stage.”

Aniket Jadhav, who currently plays for Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League, commented: “I would like to thank Blackburn Rovers FC for believing in me and my ability, and inviting me to train at their world class Academy.I am very thankful to Mr. Balaji Rao Sir for this opportunity. I would also like to thank my agent, Jehan Kothary of KSMN sports, and my current club, Jamshedpur FC, who have been very supportive of this opportunity and have assured their complete support.”

Mukul Choudari, of Jamshedpur FC, said: “We are very happy for Aniket. Infact, very rarely do Indian football players get such an opportunity and if they get it at this age, it is just fantastic, as this will only help him grow and enhance his skills further. It is going to be a win-win for everybody. As Jamshedpur FC, we congratulate Aniket for his talent and the opportunity that he’s got, which we are sure he will make the best of and come back as a much better player and make us proud.”