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Eleven players out of 23 in India U-17 World Cup squad found through scouting

Abhishek Yadav (Photo courtesy: AIFF Media)

In an attempt to gauge the nation for potential talent that might add value to the India U-17 World Cup squad, AIFF’s Director of Scouting Abhishek Yadav is heading the scouting project to find talents for the Indian U-17 national team for the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 vigorously.

In an exclusive interview with www.the-aiff.com, the former Indian captain talks abreast about the scouting project, talent identification, the scouting process, and a lot more.

INTERVIEW

How many players are there in the Indian U-17 World Cup squad that came through scouting?

Of the 23 players, which have travelled to Brazil for the exposure trip, eleven players have been found out through the scouting network.

Can you name some of the players?

Aniket Jadhav, Aman Chhetri, Saurab Meher, Hendry Antonay, Shubham Sarangi, Narender, Lalengmawia and Sharif Khan to name a few. All of these players were part of the squad for the AFC U-16 Championship and the BRICS U-17 Tournament.

How much beneficial has the scouting network been for the Indian team?

The mammoth numbers of players that are in the Indian U-17 World Cup squad are a statement of how much beneficial the scouting network has been for the team. Not only had the network enabled the base of the players pyramid structure it also gave more players that are talented in the pipeline for the Head Coach to chose. As a Chief Operation Officer for the U-17 World Cup Squad it is my duty to provide the best players for Nicolai (Adam) to look at.

What do you wish to achieve through the Overseas Scouting Project?

By the Overseas Scouting Project, we further wish to scout talent having Indian passports but living abroad. This was an unprecedented and a unique step in Indian football, which we took to extend the horizons of scouting so that no one should be left alienated. Together with SAI, we created an online portal (http://scouting.the-aiff.com/), which has been a first of its kind to scout talent. I was personally present to observe the Overseas Scouting Project when it kicked-off to assess talent.

Was the demography of the nation a challenge in scouting?

The demography of such a huge nation is a challenge as well as a boon. A challenge for us personally because it requires a lot of hard work from our side – waking up early, taking long flights, being on the ground for a good number of hours to assess talent.

A boon because India being a huge country has a lot of potential and there are different type of players all over the nation. For example the ones in Punjab are tall and physical while the ones in North-East India are quick with their feet. The country has a lot to offer we just have to work hard from our side to unravel talent.

What next for scouting in India?

We will spread the scouting network amongst other age groups as well including the Women’s Teams. We strive to create a solid system through which the Indian team across all age groups including the senior team will benefit.

Does being a scout require determination, let alone an eye for talent?

An eye for talent is a default for any scout but scouting requires more than determination. You need to be dedicated to scout talent. It is a painstaking job, not for everyone and therefore you need dedicated scouts who are hardworking.

(Interview & Photo courtesy: AIFF Media)