By: Raja Syed Rather
Ganderbal, Jul 19: Suhail Mahmood has made Kashmir proud as he made his place in country’s top football academy Reliance foundation Young champs Mumbai.
As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), under-16 category, he was selected for the academy during a scouting camp in Srinagar. Hailing from Ganderbal, Suhail belongs to a humble family.
As soon as the news spread, his neighbourhood erupted in joy with visitors thronging his home.
The Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) academy was launched in 2015 with the vision of identifying talented young footballers and providing them an environment of excellence to unlock their potential both on and off the pitch.
Supported entirely by the Reliance Foundation, each year RFYC offers fully funded scholarships to young talents from across the country following a comprehensive year-long scouting process.
The academy is currently recognized by the All India Football Federation as the nation’s first only 5 Star rated residential academy.
Based in Navi Mumbai with state of the art facilities and dedicated multidisciplinary full time staff, RFYC currently hosts young players across the country.
Suhail Mahmood was playing for a local club FC Ganderbal headed by AFC Coach Muzamil Mahmood .
“It is a big achievement for young players. He has worked very hard to reach there. It is the first time ever that any player from Ganderbal has made it to the level. He has potential to play in Europe,” he added.
Suhail has signed the contract and joined the academy in Mumbai.
On his part, Suhail said, “It is a dream come true for me. I have worked hard for it. My parents have been supportive. I look forward to taking maximum from this opportunity.”—(KNO)
