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What's the story?
The Indian U19 side is all set to travel to Europe early next month in order to play in a four-nation tournament. The tournament will be held in Croatia and will feature the youth sides of France, Slovenia, and host nation Croatia.
In case you didn't know...
The Indian youth sides have been doing well recently on their exposure tours. The India U16 side was participating in one in Amman, Jordan and had encouraging results. The Blue Colts defeated hosts Jordan, Yemen, and current Asian U16 champions Iraq on the tour. There was a defeat to consider also, as the youngsters lost to Japan.
However, the big news from the youth circuit came earlier this week when the Indian U20 team beat Argentina U20. What gave even more weight to their victory was the fact that Argentina are the most-decorated U20 side in the history of the FIFA U20 World Cup.
The heart of the matter
India U19 is all set to go up against three other European nations early in September in yet another exposure tour. The tournament itself will be held from September 4 to September 9 in Croatia.
India's opponents in the tournament have a great international pedigree, both at a senior level and at youth level. The Blue Colts will be going up against France, Croatia, and Slovenia during their five-day tour.
The French national team have one of the most successful youth set-ups in the world, producing superstars such as Kylian Mbappe and Antonie Greizmann. The French youth side has also won the UEFA U19 Euro on three occasions.
The other two nations participating in the tournament are Croatia and Slovenia. While their youth sides may not have had the same success as France, they contain some very talented players.
What's next?
It will be interesting to see how the young Indians fare against some of the strongest youth sides in Europe, and possibly the world. However, if recent performances are anything to go by, it is clear that India cannot be taken lightly.
How do you think the India U19 side will fare against France, Slovenia, and Croatia U19s? Do let us know in the comments below.
