THE BLOG BY CPD FOOTBALL | The World of Indian football and beyond by Chris Punnakkattu Daniel

AU Rajasthan Football Club launched in Jaipur

Sohil Bhansali (CEO, AU Rajasthan Football Club), Sanjay Agrawal (MD & CEO, AU Bank), Renedy Singh (former captain, Indian National Team), Uttam Tibrewal (ED, AU Bank) Dilip Singh Shekhawal (Secretary, Rajasthan Football Association) and Shubham Garg (Technical Advisor, AU Rajasthan Football Club) unveil the jersey of AU Rajasthan Football Club at the launch of the club done at Jaipur. (Photo courtesy: AU Rajasthan Football Club)

AU Rajasthan Football Club, Rajasthan’s first sports academy dedicated to Football, was launched today, May 27 at the Hotel Fern by former Indian captain and international Renedy Singh.

Also attending the occasion were Sanjay Agarwal, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank; Sohil Bhansali, CEO, AU Rajasthan Football Club; Dilip Singh Shekhawat, Secretary, Rajasthan Football Association; Shubham Garg, Technical Advisor; and Uttam Tibrewal, ED, AU Small Finance Bank.

The club aims to provide professional training for the game in Rajasthan along with putting Rajasthan on the map of Indian football. Spordy Ventures Pvt. Ltd, with support of AU Bank have come up to form this unique football training academy that will train youngsters from 6 years onwards to participate in national Leagues, Rajasthan State League and Second Division League. The club has recognition and support from Rajasthan Football Association & All India Football Federation. The club will operate at a well-equipped football academy and training facility located at Jaisinghpura, Jaipur.

AU Rajasthan Football Club

Speaking on the occasion, former international Renedy Singh said, “Football is the number one sport on international level and it is equally popular in North East. Children in those states start training in football at an early age and gain a competitive edge. Now, with increased exposure to international sporting arena, children from across the nation are showing keen interest in this sport. However, there is a dearth of professional academies to train them. This initiative will be a significant step towards providing professional training to these children and creating a conducing environment for this sport in India. I will always extend my whole-hearted support in all their endeavours.”

Elaborating on the significance of this initiative, Sanjay Agarwal, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank, said, “Sports are important not only for physical fitness, but also in positively impacting overall personality. I have been a cricket buff myself and I have realized how the learnings that I received on the field provided me the right perspective in many key professional decisions too. Even when we were defining our CSR focus areas at AU Bank, sports were always on our agenda. However, we wanted to uplift sports that are often ignored but have immense potential. Therefore, this initiative captured our attention and we were very keen on supporting the Rajasthan Football Club. We look forward to positively influence the youth with this path breaking initiative.”

Dilip Singh Shekhawat, Secretary, Rajasthan Football Association, said, “Many of you might not be aware that Rajasthan has a glorious past when it comes to football. Now, we want to revive that. With corporates like AU bank coming forward to support this cause, I am sure Rajasthan’s future in football is very bright.”

Sohil Bhansali, CEO, AU Rajasthan Football Club, said, “With this club, we aim to raise the standard of football in Rajasthan as we gear up to train participants for I-League 2nd Division. For providing European standard coaching facilities we have engaged in technical partnership with the likes of Perfect Football Club, Spain that are well respected for their professional approach. The club shall provide top level platforms to budding footballers through participation in leagues across the state and nation. We will also focus on conducting various coaching licenses with the support of AIFF and RFA.”

(AU Rajasthan Football Club)