East Bengal Club and Tea Board of India launch grassroot program

Kolkata giants East Bengal Club in association with the Tea Board of India today at the clubs Kolkata Maidan tent launched a joint Grassroots Football Development program with the aim of having at least one of the to-be-trained boys as part of the India Under-17 squad in the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup at home.

The program is intended to kick-off across three centres in tea garden regions with an aim to unearth and develop talent for East Bengal Club and the country. The contract between the two sides is initially for three years with an aim to make it long-term if it works for both sides.

In order to encourage the youths belonging to tea gardens for play football in a professional manner and to generate interest amongst the masses and to trap the unexplored potential, it is proposed to conduct selection trials for search of talented footballers from amongst the tea garden workers and their wards and small growers, and then train them with the expertise of East Bengal Club of Kolkata.

Budding talents shall be identified and selected for their training and giving professional exposure from the tea growing areas of the Country.