‘C’ Division team to figure in top tier this season

Bengaluru :

Scores of aspiring footballers, including those from the underprivileged section of society, from the traditional sporting hub of Kodagu will get a chance to sharpen their skills and show their class at the Bangalore Football Stadium with the Kodagu FC set to figure in this season’s BDFA Super Division League.

The club, which played in the crowded ‘C’ Division league, has taken a big leap with the owners shelling out a small fortune to nurture the players of the hilly region.

It all started with the INS Sports Centre near Kushalnagar,  established five years ago by Ravi and Kamni Somaiah in memory of their son Naren, a budding footballer, who passed away in a road accident in 2015.

“We want to give the best of opportunities to the talented players in our region. And we were determined to live the dream of Naren who aspired to be a footballer. He left us at the age of 20,” Naren’s elder brother Ponnappa Iychettira, who runs the team, told TOI.

Last year, Kodagu FC did well in the ‘C’ Division, competing against Bengaluru teams. “It was a big learning experience for the players and they have emerged stronger from that,” he said.

On the foray into the top tier of the league, Ponnappa said the idea is to give a bigger platform for the boys to showcase their talent and catch the eye of scouts. “We know it is going to be tough but the main idea is to bridge the gap for talented players. If they get noticed and are picked up by other clubs then we would have succeeded in our efforts”.

Many of the players are part-timers who work in the fields,  estates and double up as mechanics and painters. Their entry into the Super Division will see the best of the lot emerge as full-time players.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> Sports News> Football News / by Biju Babu Cyriac, TNN / June 29th, 2021