“Important for kids to enjoy playing & fall in love with the game,” states Khalid Jamil as RF Youth Sports returns with Season 

by Chittu Shetty August 6, 2025

The eighth season of India’s most extensive youth football competition, Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS) kicked off at the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium in Kochi this week.

Aimed at building a structured and competitive environment for India’s young footballers, this season will also cater to U-7 to U-13 age groups — the foundation of a clear developmental pathway that stretches up to U-21 through the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL). Players such as Gurnaj Singh Grewal, Nikhil Prabhu, Naorem Roshan Singh, Sivasakthi Narayanan, Vibin Mohanan, and Mohammed Aimen represent some of the most compelling success stories to emerge from India’s growing youth ecosystem — having risen through competitions like RFYS, RFDL and Next Gen Cup to make their mark in the Indian Super League, national age-group teams, and the senior national squad.

Speaking on the importance of such competitions, Jamshedpur FC Head Coach Khalid Jamil said: “It’s fantastic that RFYS is providing a platform for young players to gain competitive game time and experience a longer season. This is exactly what Indian football needs – more opportunities for juniors to play matches and develop their skills. The most important thing is for kids to enjoy playing and fall in love with the game. It’s a great initiative that should definitely continue.”

Key Features of RFYS Season 8:

• Key football hotspots: Delhi, Punjab, Kashmir, Kochi, Malappuram, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas and Meghalaya
• Five age categories: U-7 (Boys & Girls), U-9 (Boys & Girls), U-11 (Boys & Girls), U-13 (Girls), and U-13 (Boys)
• No. of participating teams: 40 teams across the five categories
• Minimum no. of matches per team: 21

Season 8 also reflects growing collaboration between RFYS and the wider football community, with potential partnerships in the works with clubs and state federations— alongside the growing involvement of former players and ISL clubs.

RFYS continues to inspire young players by turning dreams into reality not just through top-level competition, but also through priceless experiences that leave a lasting impact. Earlier this year, SP One Foundation and Mohun Bagan Super Giant, winners of the RFYS Kolkata Season 7 U-15 Girls and Boys categories — had their moment of glory elevated when they met the ISL 2024-25 finalists in Kolkata and posed with the ISL Cup, a gesture that exemplifies how RFYS builds both ambition and belief among young talents across India.

– Credits RFYS Media

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