Saturday, 27 April 2024

 

 

LATEST NEWS Mann's roar in Majha!, starts AAP's election campaign in Gurdaspur for Shery Kalsi Mann in Amritsar -When the people of Majha make up their minds, they do not sway, this time they have decided to make AAP win Congress will provide 50 percent reservation to women in jobs: Lamba Haryana CEO takes first-of-its-kind initiative, State Voters to receive Wedding-Style Invitations for General Elections Wheat procurement gains pace as agencies procure 334283.4 MT grains Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla presents Road Safety Awards From Siliguri to a Chai Empire: How a Women Entrepreneur Brew a Successful Tea selling brand CHAIOM Science Fest organised at Rayat Bahra University Detaining the colonizer is a highly condemnable act - Gurjit Singh Aujla AIMS Mohali Observes DNA Day Vigilance Bureau Arrests Patwari Accepting Rs 10,000 Bribe For Mutation Of Land Vigilance Bureau Nabs Senior Assistant For Taking Rs 20,000 Bribe Vigilance Bureau Nabs Reader Of Sho Nri Police Station Taking Rs 20,000 Bribe SANY Heavy Industry India Pvt Ltd Expands Presence with Grand Opening of Raghunath Machinery HO in Rayagada, Odisha Ideathon 2K24 held at CGC Jhanjeri, 160 teams from various colleges participated Retailers Discuss Ways to Stay Ahead of the Curve at the RAI Hyderabad Retail Summit 2024 Bobby Deol Drives the Badass Seltos Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung Visits India to Underline Mid-to long-term Mobility Strategic Commitments Rupnagar police arrest accomplice of attackers involved in murder of VHP leader Vikas Prabhakar Complete exercise of identifying critical polling stations within this week : Sakshi Sawhney The impact of the Deputy Commissioner Dr. Senu Duggal strictness, a record jump in lifting in two days

 

John Abraham bats for home-grown footballers rather than signing 30-plus legends

Listen to this article

Web Admin

Web Admin

5 Dariya News

Shillong , 22 Aug 2017

Bollywood actor and owner of Indian Super League (ISL) franchise NorthEast United FC, John Abraham, believes in grooming for home-grown footballers, rather than signing 30-plus have-been international stars."I honestly believe we need to create heroes in our own country. I think that is very important. NorthEast United FC could be any other team tom-toming about big signings, but that is not going to be our focus. Our focus point is to create our own heroes," Abraham told IANS."I would like for at least 70 per cent of my players to come from the first team. I think it is very important for us to develop our own home-grown players and own home-grown heroes," he added.The Bollywood star visited the club's Centre of Excellence in Meghalaya's capital Shillong to nurture football talent across the eight states of the northeast region.Nonetheless, Abraham said his club will still sign some international talent, but not 30-plus have-been players."You will see a lot of those signing in the ISL and you will see a 36-year-old legend being signed. We are looking for 24-, 25-year-old boys even if they are international boys."Our coach Joao Carlos Pires de Deus believes in fast football, young football and very physical football, and that is what we want it to be. It is not about winning the ISL tomorrow, but it is about having a long-term vision," he said.

On the NorthEast United FC's Centre of Excellence, the Bollywood actor said the partnership with Shillong United FC (formerly known as Royal Wahingdoh FC) should have been done in the first season of the ISL."I say this because it is a technical partnership and actually it is at grassroots that we are concentrating on with Shillong United. Dominic (the owner of Shillong United FC) especially understands that process and also understands what the needs of NEUFC are," Abraham said.On Shillong Lajong offloading its holding in NorthEast United FC, he said, "It was co-partnership in the team and it didn't work out. Being from non-football backgrounds we all make mistakes. We have learnt from our mistakes. NorthEast United FC was very new in the first season. I rather not look back, but look forward and see the advantages that I have with Shillong United.""We have corrected certain things that we did wrongly. We believe we are on the right path. Dominic and I share the same values as far as development of players goes. I think the technical partnership we got is absolutely fantastic; so we have got an under-15 team, we have got an under-18 team and they go into the Shillong United first team and then we hope to get the crème de la crème players to be in NEUFC," Abraham said.Noting that Shillong is the hotbed of football in the northeast and northeast is the hotbed of football in India, the NorthEast United FC owner said, "Having a strategic partnership in Shillong in terms of grassroots and having the youth coming in to play -- that is why we have signed a developmental deal with them (Shillong United). 

We feel that being in Shillong is very, very advantageous for us.""The Shillong premier league is the most progressive league here and a lot of players are playing 20 to 33 games, which is fantastic, which I don't think we would get anywhere. We are in the right place and at the right time."Stating that his club and Shillong United FC's vision is to have their own football infrastructure in Meghalaya, Abraham said, "We want the Centre of Excellence to be the go-to place not only in Meghalaya but in the whole of India.Even if there is a kid from Bombay and if his parents aspire for him to be a footballer -- I think we have to create that eco-system where they say if you want to do it you have to go to the Centre of Excellence in Shillong."On his future plans of setting up a women's football team, Abraham said, "That's something we have on the cards, but our first aim right now is to get an under-13 team. We will take one step at a time. Right now, we are not equipped to go so fast and we cannot go fast; Rome was not built in a day. But whatever we do we will do it right."Congratulating Indian women football team skipper Oinam Bembem Devi, who has been recommended for the Arjuna award, Abraham said, "Better late than never. Hats off to her that she got it and I congratulate her. I really think that women's football needs to be recognised."I wish we can develop women's football in this country. At the NorthEast United FC and at the Centre of Excellence we want to co-develop young girls as well as boys."

 

Tags: BOLLYWOOD

 

 

related news

 

 

 

Photo Gallery

 

 

Video Gallery

 

 

5 Dariya News RNI Code: PUNMUL/2011/49000
© 2011-2024 | 5 Dariya News | All Rights Reserved
Powered by: CDS PVT LTD