Shillong, Sept 19: As part of the initiative to make Meghalaya the football hub of the country, NorthEast United Football Club (NEUFC) with aid from the State Government will set up a Residential Football Academy at Mawkhanu in the New Shillong Township.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday, while welcoming the NEUFC team into the State after winning the Durand Cup 2024, said the residential academy will be a major boost to football ecosystem in the State.
“We are coming with many programs including grassroot level programs for picking up talent at a young age and to promote them at a very young age; so many things are going to be happening, so we are looking forward to this partnership,” the CM said.
He also interacted with the players of NorthEast United FC, and called each player of the club an ‘icon’ of the youth here in Meghalaya.
“Partnering with us in the State is not just about the games but about the larger impact that we will see especially for the youngsters who like to see one day wearing that jersey and playing for NorthEast United, and maybe representing the country at the top level,” Sangma hoped.
It maybe mentioned that on March 14, Meghalaya Government inked a deal with NorthEast United FC to set up a ‘state of the art’ Residential Football Academy in New Shillong. The government has agreed to allocate 15 acres of land to the Highlanders.
Meghalaya Tourism has also been the main sponsor for the club in the last two seasons.
NorthEast United CEO, Mandar Tamhane, in a press conference on Thursday said the kind of support the club is receiving from the Meghalaya government is something which he has not seen in any other state in India.
“We are happy that the Meghalaya Government is given us 15 acres of land in the outskirts of Shillong to develop our residential academy,” Tamhane said.
He also shared that the club is closely working with Tourism Department of Meghalaya to reach out to different districts to develop football at the grassroot level.
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