Chennaiyin FC, Norwich City FC start inter-school football event for TN kids

Chennai  (The Uttam Hindu): Indian Super League (ISL) club Chennaiyin FC and England's Norwich City FC have come together to host an inter-school football championship focused on advancing grassroots football in Tamil Nadu. The CFC-NCFC Inter-School Football Championship 2025 starts on Friday (January 24) and will feature a total of 64 teams competing in the Under-12 and Under-14 categories; also providing the players a platform to showcase their skills to club academy scouts.

With the additional support of the Reliance Foundation, the tournament is part of a wider partnership initiated in April 2024 between Chennaiyin FC and Norwich City FC, focused on talent cultivation, promoting a vibrant football culture in the area, and enhancing the grassroots development of the sport. “In the future, we aim to expand this initiative beyond Chennai to other districts such as Coimbatore, Trichy, and Salem. Gradually, we envision making this a Tamil Nadu-wide championship, uniting young footballers from across the state,” said CFC’s Head of Marketing, Neel Jayaram at a press conference on Monday. “Our vision over the next decade is to see more Tamil Nadu players representing Chennaiyin FC. To do this, we have to develop a strong foundation that will pave the way for a significant presence of Tamil players at the club,” he said. “CFC scouts will be present throughout the tournament to identify promising talents and integrate them into our youth development programs. The goal is to nurture players who can follow in the footsteps of success stories like Mohanraj and Samik (Mitra),” he added. Mohanraj K, a Chennaiyin FC first-team goalkeeper, who has been with the club since the age of 13, spoke about the opportunity such tournaments present for young players. “These tournaments provide invaluable exposure for young players, especially those in the Under-12 and Under-14 age groups. It’s a fantastic opportunity for kids to gain playtime while showcasing their talents in front of youth team scouts, enabling players to transition from local tournaments to youth teams. This is the foundation, from there, they can continue to develop and eventually progress to senior levels of the sport,” he said.

Grassroots football is the bedrock of nurturing young talent, offering a vital platform for discovery and development. Highlighting this, Rajat Guha, Chennaiyin FC's first team goalkeeping coach, emphasised the importance of early engagement and structured opportunities for budding players. “Grassroots football always helps us identify talent at a very early age–it is like the foundation of a building. So if you want to find a good footballer, you have to catch them young. This tournament will provide these kids with such opportunities and proper, competitive playing time,” said Guha. Beyond competing for the title, the teams that emerge victorious will enjoy the unique chance to attend a Chennaiyin FC match, gaining insight into the professional football scene.