Team Herald
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RAIA: Former India footballers Bhaichung Bhutia, Subrata Paul emphasised on the need for grassroots football in the country and hailed the efforts of Dream Sports Foundation in this direction in promoting the sport.
“India is such a big country. We need more such grassroots tournaments. The Dream Sports Foundation has done a fantastic job introducing this U-17 national tournament. In the next few years, this tournament can become one of the biggest grassroots football tournaments in the country," stated Bhutia while addressing the mediapersons at the Dream Sports Championship Football 2025 National Finals held at the Raia panchayat football ground, recently.
"My own football academy (Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools) has been collaborating with the Dream Sports Foundation. Thanks to their sponsorship programmes, three of our players have donned India colours in the last three years," he stated.
The former India football captain was keen to see national-level tournaments in the U-13 and U-15 age groups as well. “Fortunately, the Dream Sports Foundation is keen to examine this possibility,” he added.
Identifying mobile phones as a major distraction, Bhutia said, “To become a strong footballing nation, we need more children to leave their mobile phones and play football. I am a parent and understand the challenges involved. Unless hundreds of children play football, we will never get a large enough pool of talent to choose from.”
When asked about the goalkeeping talent he had seen in this tournament, former India goalkeeper Subrata Paul said, “There are many young and talented goalkeepers. Anisha Oraon from the Jharkhand FA girls team is particularly very competent.”
He also reiterated the need for more grassroots tournaments like the Dream Sports Championship. “We need football coaching and tournaments even in the U-10 and U-8 age groups,” Subrata added.