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Mumbai, 17th December 2015: Mumbai City FC has partnered with MSSA-Mumbai Indians to run the Under-8 Football League this year. Through Mumbai City FC's Grassroots Programme, the club has assisted MSSA to make a transition from the traditional 11-a-side format for this age-group to a more widely used 5-a-side format.
The MSSA-Mumbai Indians - Mumbai City FC Under-8 League started on 1st December 2015 and will be played over a period of 2 months. The tournament is currently in its 3rd week and 58 matches have taken place till now, with each team playing at least once. The matches are held from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm only on weekdays.
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There are a total of 117 teams participating in the league and they are divided into groups of 9 teams each. Each team plays all other teams in the group once. The top teams from each group at the end of the group phase will go on to play in the knock-out phase. All teams are participating in Division 1 and 2, across both venues, and 2 pitches are being used at each venue.
The matches are being held at 2 Astro Turf grounds in the city - Astro Park at Kamala Mills and Astro Park and FootBrawl at the Lions Municipal Sports Complex, Santacruz - West.
Mumbai City FC is committed towards development of football for kids: CEO MCFC
On this association, MSSA President - Fr Jude Rodrigues said, "MSSA-Mumbai Indians are pleased to associate with Mumbai City FC to organise this year's Under-8 football competition. For this age-group, we are now moving to play as per the guidelines set by FIFA. We are confident that this change will bring about a positive influence and that the kids will also enjoy playing the game.”
Indranil Das Blah, CEO, Mumbai City FC said, “With the launch of the league, Mumbai City FC is committed towards the development of football for the kids of this city. The Under-8 Football league is a stepping stone to bring out the best of the city’s youngsters. We believe this is the right format and are excited about this association and look forward to a highly competitive and successful school programme.”
Jigar, Managing Director, Astro Park said, "We are delighted to host the matches of the MSSA-MI Mumbai City FC Under-8 Football League at our Kamala Mills and Santacruz centres. We are all for promoting football in the city, and when we were asked if our facilities could be used to host the matches, we didn't hesitate to agree."
Arun, Director, FootBrawl said, "It is of utmost importance for the kids to play more and more football, and we are glad that our facility is one such place that will facilitate this."
Savio Medeira - Coach Education Instructor and Development Officer - The All India Football Federation, said "Mumbai City FC are on the right track by introducing age-specific football in the city. It is a must for the child to play in a format that suits their age, rather than playing in the traditional format of the game. I hope they continue promoting such age-specific leagues, and other clubs, associations and organisations follow suit"
