32 Delhi schools for Mahindra Youth Football Challenge

NEW DELHI - After closing down their I-League football club, auto major Mahindra moved into youth development by launching an under-14 school tournament along with Scottish giants Celtic FC.

The tournament, Mahindra Youth Football Challenge (MYFC), will be held in the national capital in association with Delhi Soccer Association (DSA) and will involve 32 schools. Besides Delhi, the tournament will also be played simultaneously in Mumbai, Kolkata, Goa, Bangalore and Kerala.

The winners of the intra-city leg from each of the six cities will then play each other. The best four footballers will be trained in Scotland by Celtics coaches.

Each intra-city champion will get Rs.30,000 and the runners-up Rs.20,000 while the third-placed team will get Rs.15,000. The champion team will get Rs.50,000 and the runners-up will get Rs.30,000.

Mahindra official Mufaddal Choonia said the company will now concentrate only on youth development.

“We are happy to be part of this initiative… to make a difference to the game of football. When Mahindra makes a promise, it sticks to it,” he said.

Asked why they partnered Celtic, Choonia said: “We have been talking to most of the top clubs because obviously we need a partner who is willing to provide the expertise… We found that Celtic was one club that shared our values.

“If you see how Celtic was even formed, the basis of the formation of Celtic is very similar to grassroots. They were the closest to our value system, shared our visions and values. So, therefore, it was the most natural marriage, if I may say that.”