AIFF gives clearance to 89 academies for the 2019-20 season

A total of 89 football academies have been given clearance by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) out of the 123 clubs/academies that enrolled for the 2019-20 season. Out of the selected ones, Reliance Foundation Young Champs was given a five-star rating, while three clubs which includes Jamshedpur FC, Bengaluru FC and the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (Delhi) was given a four-star rating.

As per the AIFF guidelines, to get an approval, a club/academy has to compete in the Youth Leagues (Hero Elite League, Hero Junior League and Hero Sub-Junior League) which are organised by the governing body. The number of successful academies has gone up by a fair margin this year compared to the 83 academies that were cleared in the 2018-19 season.

The Academy accreditation process is conducted through six months which includes the establishment of the assessment criteria, organisation of workshops, where the criteria were introduced and explained to the applicants, submission of relevant documents. It is followed by a physical inspection carried out by designated AIFF personnel and then the declaration of the results.

The academies were assessed on the basis of age-group teams, technical support, training curriculum, talent identification and recruitment process, facilities and infrastructure, medical provisions and existing administrative support.

The list of successful club/academies for the 2019-20 season:

Basic: New Barrackpore Rainbow AC, Keshab-Uma Charitable Trust Football Academy, Lonestar FC, FF Academy, Pay for Right Youth and Cultural Club (Shillong), Football Leaders Academy – Sri Ma, Green Global Sports Academy.

1-Star: FC Kerala, ARA FC, Guruvayoor Sports Academy, Bangalore Youth Football League, Rangdajied United FC, TYDA, Sreenidhi Football Club, AU Rajasthan, Sports Authority of Jharkhand, The Hooghly District Sports Association, Maximus Prime Sports L. L. P., FAO Academy, Football Plus Professional Soccer Academy, Aazura Football Academy, Youth Soccer Academy, Bhawanipore FC, Real Kashmir FC, Chennai City FC, Aizawl FC, J&K Bank Football Academy, Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (Punjab), PIFA, Raman Sports Academy, Dhanbad Football Academy, Muthoot Football Academy, Sporting Clube de Goa, Indian Football Academy, Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (Bengaluru), Churchill Brother FC, Football Academy of Bangalore.

2-Star: Salgaocar FC, Iron Born FC, Jain Academy for Sporting Excellence, Baroda Football Academy, Delhi Dynamos FC, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, Quess East Bengal FC, Conscient Football, SAIL Football Academy (Bokaro), Kerala Blasters FC, Bengal Football Academy, United Punjab Football Club, Football School of India, Roots Football School, Shillong Lajong FC, United Sports Club, FC Pune City, Don Bosco, Oscar SSE, FC Mumbaikars, SESA Football Academy, Raman Vijayan Soccer Schools, Great Goals, ATK, Ozone Football Academy, Baranagar Sporting Club, Numaligarh Football Academy, Stadium Sports Foundation, Bidhannagar Municipal Sports Academy, Mohun Bagan AC, J&K State Football Academy, Somaiya Sports Academy, Round Glass Sports, Gokulam Kerala FC, Sports Hostel Odisha, SAG Football Academy, India Rush Soccer Club, Football Club Mangalore, Kahaani FC, Parappur FC.

3-Star: Boca Juniors Football Schools, FC Madras, Kenkre FC, Youth Football Club, Minerva Punjab FC, Dempo SC.

4-Star: Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (Delhi), Jamshedpur FC, Bengaluru FC.

5-Star: Reliance Foundation Young Champs.