SEPT kids looking to have a ball with Chhetri & Co

Gone are the days when top quality soccer players of the country used to graze the maidans in the state. Nowadays, Kerala struggle to produce players who have the calibre to break into Indian team.

And the few like CK Vineeth who are in and out of the national squad spend most of their time representing their clubs in different parts of the country.

And it's just not the football fans in the state who are at a loss. The budding talent in the state too is deprived the privilege of watching and learning from top level players.

The Federation Cup that kicks off in two days' time gives the upcoming talent in the state a rare opportunity to watch some of the best in Indian football in their own backyard.

And institutions like Sports & Education Promotion Trust (SEPT), who have playing a key role in shaping the careers of budding talents in the state, are not going to let an opportunity go by. Chairman of SEPT, Arun K Nanu, said they are trying to organise a session for their kids with one of the prominent clubs playing in Federation Cup.

"We spoke to Bengaluru FC management and they have given us a positive reply. We are hoping that some of our kids can have short sessions with some of the best footballers in the country. I see it as a big opportunity for the kids to learn. Also it will give young players more confidence to work hard to build their own careers, "said Arun.

Bengaluru FC, one of the most professionalized football clubs in the country, will play their league matches in Manjeri. When contacted, sources close to BFC told TOI that they are yet to discuss the schedule with the coach but would be more than willing to consider the request put in by SEPT officials.

Bangalore team will reach Manjeri on Monday. BFC, current table toppers in I-League with 30 points, have some fine players in their squad in Indian striker Sunil Chhetri, his striking partner in national team, Robin Singh, and Australian import Sean Rooney.

Favad K, Kerala's U-14 captain, who is a student at SEPT's Feroke sounded excited at the prospect. "I will be watching some Federation Cup matches in Manjeri. It will be great if we would be able to talk to players like Chhetri. They are all very talented and we can learn lot from them,"said Favad.

SEPT head coach Manoj Kumar too said it would be a dream come true for some of his wards. "They are very experienced and they can motivate kids with their words. We are looking forward to it,"said Manoj.

With 51 centres spreading across 13 districts, 1900 kids have been undergoing training in various centres under SEPT. Recently, they have started U-9 category training with 22 new batches. The organized training programme helps kids to understand the game better, feels Arun Nanu.

"This is our 10th year and we are very proud of entering a new phase. We are going to conduct an Inter-SEPT tournament on 18th and 19th January at Calicut University Stadium. It was a tough job conducting home and away matches at cluster level but our passion for the game drive us forward," he said.

With more kids and parents showing interest in football, Arun and his men are planning to start a football club in the near future.

SEPT U-16 boys have played in the E-division league in Kozhikode and emerged winners in December and that gave the SEPT organizers the momentum to start a professional club soon. "We have started the groundwork and hopefully we will have a team by the year end," said Arun.