FC Goa will kick off the FC Goa U-10 Tournament – Junior Gaur U-10 League – on December 2nd at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda. The tournament which as part of the club’s grassroots and community outreach program will focus on the development of the sport at a junior level and will involve over 800 young players from across various schools in the state. FC Goa is the first club to initiate such a project in this age group. The three month tournament will kick off with the FC Goa senior squad in attendance.

The FC Goa U-10 Tournament will involve 64 schools in Goa spread out across eight venues and will be played in a league format over a period of three months. Fr Agnel Higher Secondary School in Pilar, Saraswat Vidhyalaya, St Britto’s Higher Secondary School in Mapusa, St Joseph’s Higher Secondary School Arpora, Ambelim Complex, Fr Agnel Ashram in Verna, Tilamol and St Jospeh Higher Secondary School in Chandor will play host to the 239 matches which will be played over the weekends.

The objective of this festival is to engage children to the game of football in a friendly playing environment, where they are encouraged to experience football and begin loving the sport while developing their inherent talent.

Over the past months FC Goa’s Grassroots Coach, Gavin Araujo, an AFC A license Coach has been working closely with Goa’s young talented footballers while mentoring and coaching Goa’s young footballers. Gavin has been an excellent footballer and has captained Goa at the U-16, U-19 and U-21 age groups with a long playing stint at Vasco SC. Gavin has been supported by a team of 4 assistant coaches and 8 Grassroots coaches, besides 16 Physical Education teachers from the respective schools inducted in the programme.

FC Goa’s Grassroots Development Programme which has been in existence since its very first season has seen a tremendous response with budding footballers from schools spread all across Goa, participating in the initiative.

FC Goa has a strong long term plan to develop football at the grassroots level. The club hopes to inspire many young children to take up the sport and to help many youngsters live their dream.

(FC Goa Press Release)