Private schools in Chandigarh revive trend of recruiting outstation football talent
Private schools in Chandigarh have revived the practice of offering sports scholarships to outstation players, particularly from the Northeast region (NER), to strengthen their football teams. This trend is evident in the ongoing Pre-Subroto Football Cup, where several school teams include players from other states who are training in local academies.
Majority of outstation players from Northeast India
Most of these outstation players come from states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim. Earlier, this trend was mostly seen in colleges and universities, where players from other states were offered scholarships and perks to represent the institutions.
Years ago, private schools in Chandigarh had initiated scholarship programmes, primarily in football, to bring talented players from other parts of the country. The majority of these players were from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, with very few from the NER. Schools like Sanjay Public School (now Sri Chaitanya Techno School), Shivalik Public School, DAV Public School, and PML SD Public School were among the first to adopt this practice.
Shift in trend with St Stephen’s School leading
The trend shifted when St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, began enrolling a majority of players from the NER. In recent years, the Chandigarh Football Academy (CFA), a government-backed institution, also started scouting talent from the NER and has since dominated local competitions.
In the current Pre-Subroto Football Cup, three schools have revived the trend: Strawberry Fields School, Sector 26, and St Stephen’s School have a majority of NER players who are trainees of a Mohali-based private academy. Sri Chaitanya Techno School, which has exited the tournament, also had NER players selected from an outstation academy.
Private schools aim to compete with CFA dominance
“If we have to compete with the CFA, we also have to bring some talent from outside,” said a representative of Strawberry Fields School, adding that players are inducted through the academy. “When I used to play football, we looked like a team of kids in front of the CFA lads. Now, they are facing equal competition.”
Every year, the local football fraternity demands a specific quota for Chandigarh-born players in the CFA, but the UT Administration has not introduced such a policy. Private schools are now filling the gap.
Parents and observers note difference in athleticism
“The players from NER are natural athletes and move out of home at a very young age. The players in Chandigarh remain confined to training and when they reach their peak, they struggle to match the NER lads. The difference was evident in today’s match, where the Sector 26 team won as the other team didn’t play the full match after conceding too many goals,” said Annat Dwivedi, a parent.
CFA and Strawberry Fields reach U-15 final
At Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 37, CFA players representing the host school will face Strawberry Fields School in the U-15 category final on Thursday. The semifinal between Sector 37 and St Stephen’s School ended 4-0 in favour of Sector 37, with Sundar scoring three goals and Krishna adding one. The Sector 26 team registered a 3-0 win over Vivek High School, Sector 38, with Aarhan netting a brace and Viraj Singh scoring one.
Other match results
At Sector 22 government school, the Sector 26 team defeated St Soldier’s School, Sector 28, 4-1, while the Sector 38 team scored a 1-0 win over Ryan International School, Sector 49. In the girls’ U-17 category, Government Model High School, Sector 38, defeated Vivek High School 2-0.
