A youth football league aimed at grassroots development of the sport in Bengaluru is set to kick off at the HAL Sports Club on Sunday.
The Double Pass Development League competition will pit teams from across the city in the under-14 and under-16 categories and matches will be held every Sunday from November 2019 to February 2020.
The league is the initiative of Double Pass, a football consultancy group, which aims to develop football talent development systems around the world.
“Competition is an integral part of any successful talent development system. Our football academies can have the best training curriculums and the latest training methods, but without meaningful competition, it’s insignificant and incomplete,” said Sarthak Dubey, director of Double Pass India
The organisers of the league aim to develop football players in Bengaluru from a young age and believe that competitive football is necessary to do it. “If we want to develop elite players, our young footballers first need to play more competitive football. Everything else is secondary. And our league provides just such a platform,” added Sarthak.
The league allows students from the city to play a four-month season of football. Previously, Double Pass had launched the 'Baby League' in Bengaluru, which features children in the under-7, under-9 and under-11 categories.
Some of Bengaluru's established football academies, including Bengaluru FC, Roots Football School, BARCA Academy Bengaluru, Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and Raman Sports Academy are part of the league. The new youth league will see participants such as BOCA Juniors, FC Bengaluru United, Football Academy of Bangalore (FAB), and Rebels FC.
“We are delighted to support Double Pass, who are playing a crucial role in providing much needed game experience to our budding footballers. KSFA is very committed to grassroots and youth football and such initiatives by private organisations and academies play a key role in the development of football in the city and state,” Satyanarayan, the general secretary of the Karnataka State Football Association, said.
Double Pass has worked with football academies around the world including in the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga aiming to build football ecosystems that nurture young talent.