Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant meets Keren D'Souza
Panaji (Goa) [India], July 1 (ANI): Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant met and congratulated young footballer Keren D'Souza from The King's School, Goa, on her selection for the prestigious AIFF-FIFA Telangana Talent Academy under the FIFA Talent Development Scheme. D'Souza was accompanied by her parents and school management, including Shri Melvin and Smt. Ligia Pereira.
Academy provides high-performance training
Located at the Gachibowli Stadium Complex, the AIFF-FIFA Telangana Talent Academy aims to offer year-round high-performance training with residential and football facilities, education, medical care, nutrition, and mental wellness to elite young talent, according to an AIFF press release.
Collaboration between FIFA, AIFF, and Telangana government
The academy was established through collaboration between FIFA, the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the Government of Telangana, and the Sports Authority of Telangana. The boys' and girls' programmes were jointly inaugurated by Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy at Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad on June 19.
Milestone for Indian football talent development
The inauguration marked a significant milestone. The boys' programme is the second such project in India after Bhubaneswar, while the girls' programme is the first in India and only the second of its kind globally after Hong Kong. Present at the inauguration were Vakiti Srihari, Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs; Shivsena Reddy, Chairman of the Sports Authority of Telangana; and Sonibala Devi Akoijam, IFS, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Sports Authority of Telangana.
