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Blackburn owners Balaji Rao and Venkatesh Rao
Following the decision of Blackburn Rovers FC to tour India, the Indian owners Venky Hatcheries on Friday announced their plan to establish a club and a feeder academy in the Indian city of Pune.
Balaji Rao, Director of the Venkateshwara Hatcheries, told a leading daily about their plans saying “We are getting an academy and a stadium in Pune which will be ready in the next two years”.
The Venky’s intends to name the club Blackburn Rovers FC Pune and also look forward to play at the highest level of Indian Football ie, the I-league. The club will be based around players from their own academy.
“We are looking to launch a team based around players from the academy. The academy will be run exactly like the Blackburn academy, with trainees starting when they are in the 11-12 age groups, and train under coaches from Blackburn,” he said.
The Venky’s also further informed that Blackburn Rovers Academy coaches will be put into service to train the boys at Blackburn Rovers Pune.
Such plan from the Venky’s at this juncture when the Indian football is undergoing a revamp is certainly a good move. Unlike other academies, where they have to tie up with foreign academies and bring foreign expertise, the Venky’s won’t have to undergo such problems as they are already established in UK and can just divert their resources’, service and expertise with ease in Pune.
Moreover Blackburn Rover’s scout will also select two talented boy’s in a tournament starting tomorrow, who will be provided with an opportunity to train in the Blackburn Academy in Uk for two weeks for which the Venky’s will bear all the expenditure. The final of the tournament on July 23 will also witness Rover’s star players like Chris Samba, Paul Robinson, Martin Olsson and Ryan Nelsen playing alongside the local boys.
