Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools Residential Academy to kick-off talent hunt with trials in Delhi NCR and Chandigarh on March 7

With schools still on the fence about reopening, BBFS Residential Academy opens the doors of its bio-secure residential campuses to aspiring footballers.

Khel today Reporter

New Delhi: BBFS Residential Academy, a flagship initiative of Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (BBFS) on thursday announced that it will be conducting trials to admissions for year 2021 at Delhi NCR as well as Chandigarh on Sunday.

These will be among the first of many cities where the trials will be held on Sunday, 7^th of March, 2021. The admissions to the residential academy will be open only for players born between 2004 & 2010, and selected players will get a chance to be admitted into the academy at a nominal fee, where they will not only get CBSE schooling but also football coaching from licensed coaches via the integrated football training program .

As local sporting activities & competitions resume in India, this would be the first time after almost a year that BBFS would be organizing trials for admissions to its residential program, as the on-field activities had to be suspended temporarily due to Covid-19 last year. It comes at a time when the academy has successfully created a bio-secure campus, so that they can continue to train in a safe environment.

Being a top-tier football academy in India, BBFS Residential Academy primarily provides the opportunity for talented young football players to pursue their academics while receiving the best-in-class football training. The benefits of a Residential Academy go beyond just the combination of education and training, but also looks into several other aspects that are crucial for a budding player’s development, including diet, definitive competitive exposure and career guidance.

While many schools in the country are on the fence regarding resuming day-to-day operations, BBFS Residential Academy has devised a model and created a bio-secure campus wherein the students will be able to play and practice the sport they love without having to worry about the pandemic. Presently, around 120 players are training at the Residential Academy, and more are expected to join to start progressing towards their dreams of making it as professional football players. The management at the academy believe that with the right safety measures in place, players do not have to be denied the opportunity to play, learn and master the beautiful game, and realize their full potential.

BBFS is a dream of legendary Indian footballer, Bhaichung Bhutia, to grow the game at the grassroots level by offering high quality coaching and training infrastructure. Speaking on this, Bhaichung Bhutia, Co-Founder and Director at BBFS said, “2020 was a difficult year for all of us, however, as we start a fresh journey this academic year, we intend to kick-off the 2021 trials with great hopes and aspirations for the kids. As we gear up for another exciting season, we are aware of the importance of safeguarding our players and teams. BBFS Residential Academy provides a safe and secure environment for budding footballers. All COVID protocols are strictly followed in and around the campus, and a bio bubble has been created to ensure maximum safety. The campus has been successfully operational since September 2020 and with our safety measures in place, we are opening our doors to more talented players.” he added.

Despite the challenges it had to face last year, the BBFS stuck to its core value system – passion, perseverance and teamwork and have not only been successful in managing the day-to-day operations of the Residential Academy in the wake of the pandemic, but have also been able to open several training centres in different parts of the country. Kishore Taid, Co-Founder and CEO of BBFS elaborates, “At BBFS Residential Academy, we have taken several precautions to ensure the safety of all our players, coaches and staff inside the bio-secure campus. A bio-bubble has been created, restricting the movement of outsiders and provision of complete facilities within the campus. The vitals of everyone on the campus are monitored regularly. All common spaces are sanitized daily and food is prepared with fresh ingredients in a sanitized kitchen. We have taken these steps so that the kids can trin safely and focus on their professional football career. A promising sign is that despite the lockdown that was imposed last year, we did receive enrolments, and we are expecting a good response from the kids, and their parents, who have been away from the field for a long time and are looking to get back.”

Among the various steps that have been taken, testing of all staff and players on-campus, quarantine zone for new entrants, daily measurement of vitals, regular sanitization of the entire campus, mandatory wearing of masks by academy staff at all times, precautionary isolation in case of illness and limited outside interaction are some of the most important and vital steps that are being taken and implemented at the BBFS Residential Academy to provide a safe, secure and stress-free space for the budding professional footballers.

Football’s popularity has been on the rise in the country over the past decade and the break from the field in 2020 was tough for both fans and players alike. However, the recently concluded Indian Super League competition has been demonstrated that it is very much possible to host and conduct football related activities and operations despite the unique set of challenges, and with the right management and systems in place there is no doubt that football will continue to flourish in India.