Tyger Capital partners with Indian Khelo Football (IKF)

Tyger Capital has signed a long-term collaboration with India Khelo Football (IKF), a non-profit organization aimed at connecting Indian grassroots talent to the global football ecosystem, for its Pan-India Talent Hunt.

This deal, claiming to be one of the most impactful collaborations ever made specifically for scouting in the Indian Football history at grassroots level, aims to boost IKF’s mission to make talent identification and selections more accessible across India.

IKF Trials, the biggest football talent hunt in India, will now be called Tyger IKF Trials for consecutive seasons, including Season 4 (ongoing), covering 100 cities for under 13, under-15 and under-17 boys and girls.

Mass scouting

Since 2021, IKF has conducted three seasons of National Trials, covering over 60+ cities & villages across India, with participation from 17000+ players.

They have scouted over 350+ kids to perform at the National Finals, where multiple ISL, I-League, and international academies come together to select and further train this raw football talent.

To date, 100+ players have been shortlisted for further trials by ISL, I-League clubs, and international academies, providing them with a platform to train and enhance their skills.

These trials receive participation from kids of all backgrounds, bonding on the field for the love of football.

Talents unearthed

Some of these kids have shown remarkable achievements. For example, Suren Hansda from Mirudi in Jharkhand was scouted from the IKF National Finals and is currently playing for the FC Madras under-15 team.

Other players like Chittransh Bam, Arjun Krishna, Jonathan Jacob are playing with Minerva Academy, FC Madras and Football School of India.

IKF partners with regional football academies, including those accredited by AIFF, to drive successful trials in each city.

The scouting process goes through multiple phases with a database of player statistics with up to 25 attributes, easily accessible by scouts and players.

Kids can review their performance reports with actionable insights on improving their skills through a unique digital platform.

Commenting on the achievement, Phani Bhushan, Director at India Khelo Football, said, “We are thrilled about this partnership with Tyger Capital, marking it as the biggest collaboration made in the Indian football at grassroots level."

"We are confident that the resources from this partnership will help us scale our efforts and services for aspiring football talent across the country," he added.

Gaurav Gupta, Founder, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer at Tyger Capital said, “We are delighted about the partnership with India Khelo Football for their National Trials."

"IKF is leveling the field for aspiring football players in India with a structured career path, and we hope that our contribution will provide further impetus to this motive & purpose,” he added.