Sanghol, in Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib district, is all set to have a new world class football academy. Lord Diljit Rana, the British politician of Indian origin, has hired UEFA licensed coach Tommy Taylor to establish a football academy at his native village in Sanghol.
“We are establishing a football academy at Uncha Pind in Sanghol in collaboration with Southall Football Club, UK, whose chairman is Chana Singh Gill,” Rana said, reported Hindustan Times.
Rana has come up with the plan with the aim to revive the sport in the state. Taylor announced the commencement of a talent hunt championship at Sanghol that will involve 42 school teams.
“It is a big program. We are looking between 10-12 -year olds, really good players as possible. We will keep trying until we get the best ones,” said Taylor. He referred to the infrastructure that already exists at the place — Lord Rana Education City, a charitable educational institute at Sanghol run by the politician — and said that those chosen will be nurtured to become professional footballers. “The talented players will be chosen and we will nurture them to become professionals. Our ultimate goal is to build a national team on the campus,” he added.
Taylor also said that football is not only about kicking the ball, it is also about playing along with 10 other men and understanding them. Talking about the future of the players who will be chosen, he said that they will visit various clubs in England under coaching exchange programs.
“I have a long way to go, not only in terms of teaching football, but also in terms of overcoming language barriers and adjusting to the weather conditions,” he said.
The selected players will be given free education and training equipment throughout their stay. “The Indian U-17 team did well in the World Cup. But why is it so difficult to find a bunch of 16 good players to play at the top level? The intentions of the authorities should be clear and players should be motivated from the right age,” said Taylor.