Mumbai: Indian Super League has taken forward its esteemed association with the Premier League to provide a unique experience to the Reliance Foundation's Young Champs (RFYC) to train at various prestigious club academies in the United Kingdom.
The RFYC group comprises of 22 young Indian footballers in the age group of under-12 and under-14, who have been training at Navi Mumbai for the past one year under the RFYC residential scholarship programme.
They will embark on their 12-day journey on May 12, accompanied by Young Champs head coach Mark Vaessen and assistant coach Jose Barreto.
The Premier League is a strategic partner to the Indian Super League (ISL) and the visit is part of their Mutual Cooperation Agreement. Earlier, in April 2015, the Premier League, along with Arsenal, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion hosted a five-day event, sharing best practice with ISL club owners and senior management, with a focus on club organisation, youth and community development and fan engagement.
Speaking on the initiative, Nita Ambani, founder and chairperson of Football Sports Development and Reliance Foundation, said, "We are proud to be associated with the Premier League and are extremely thankful for their support in providing this huge opportunity for the 22 Young Champs. Since last year, our Young Champs children have shown tremendous growth being developed as future footballers for India.
"Our endeavour has been to provide the best available means of training to our next generation. I am of a firm opinion that the 12-day program for Young Champs with 'learning and experience' at its core will not only gain them knowledge on football skills but also return them as more self-believing individuals."
Their schedule begins with training at the Chelsea FC Academy in Cobham, followed by friendly matches over the following two days against the Crystal Palace, Southampton and Reading academies. The group will also get an opportunity to watch the last game of the Premier League season at St. Mary's Stadium between Southampton and Crystal Palace on Sunday.
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