1500 kids from Mizoram take part in 1st season of RFYC Naupang League

The Reliance Foundation Young Champs Naupang League which kicked off in November 2022, concluded at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl with the Inter district finals being played between Aizwal and Champai, with the Aizawl A (MFA Grassroots A) winning in the U11 category and Champai B (Best of the Rest) winning the title at the U13 category.

The Naupang league, which ran over seven months across the four districts of Aizawl, Champhai, Lunglei and Kolasib saw a participation of over 160 teams with 1500+ boys and girls under the age group of U7,U9,U11 and U13.

Reliance Foundation, the CSR arm of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Mizoram Football Association had joined hands to create a complete hyper-local pathway and decentralized approach to grassroots football in the state through Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) Naupang (Children) League.

Lalnghinglova Hmar / Tetea Hmar, Honorary Secretary, Mizoram Football Association & Executive Committee Member, AIFF, said, “We are very happy to partner with Reliance Foundation for the Naupang League. Many young children get to follow their passion with the correct support, infrastructure, and approach. This is something we only see in western countries, but we are so happy this is a practice in Mizoram. Thanks to Reliance Foundation and RFYC, we have children play 30 games in a league in a season. And not only children, but even their parents and the whole community come together to support these young children by funding their transportation to the ground and food, which is incredibly encouraging.”

A spokesperson from Reliance Foundation said, “Mizoram has a very strong culture of football and the children play the game from a very young age. Keeping this in mind, we set up the Naupang League here to allow children to enjoy football as a sport, to help them grow as better individuals and players who could go on to do wonders for the state of Mizoram in the future on the national and international stage. Since we began 7 months back, there has been tremendous response and participation, and we cannot wait for Mizoram and India to reap the benefits of the Naupang League in the future.”

The League saw coaches and parents come together to encourage children across crucial age groups who got to play at least 30 competitive matches in this span of seven months.

Jessie Lalmawizuala, the coach of the winning U13 team from Champai, said, “I think Reliance Foundation did a great job in organizing The Naupang League. It really helps all the kids, even the ones who cannot afford to go to an academy. I think it is really a great opportunity for every single one. And I think all the kids from Mizoram that participated have really improved through this tournament. I believe a lot of things will happen in the future and a lot of Mizo players will get a lot of opportunities. The more they play the game, the more they get the understanding tremendously.”

Apart from ensuring maximum game time for the kids, Reliance Foundation Young Champs through programs like Coach Education and Development enabled 17 coaches with E -License and empowered them for a better future. RFYC through its scouts also selected around 40 kids for a week-long experiential trip to the RFYC academy in Mumbai.

The Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) academy launched in May 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 yearlong scouting process.