Team selection trials in progress at the TFA ground on Thursday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, June 26: A decent stint in New Delhi could well win Tata Football Academy (TFA) team a ticket to Paris.

TFA has emerged as one of the lucky few academies to get an entry to participate in the qualifying round of the inaugural Dannone Cup, an under-12 tourney to be staged in New Delhi on July 11 and 12.

The champion side in the qualifying round will qualify for the International Dannone Cup scheduled in Paris from September. Forty countries from the world will be turning up in Paris to play in the international tourney.

Thirty-six soccer academies and teams from across the country would be vying for top honours in the qualifying tournament to be held in Delhi. Besides TFA, football academies from Namchi (Sikkim), Chandigarh, SAI and Delhi are among others who will be sweating it out in Delhi.

The Dannone Group, which is based in France, is the official sponsor of FIFA’s youth development programme. The under-12 tournament is part of the youth development plan and is intended to spot talents at the grassroots.

In a bid to make it to the final round of the prestigious tournament in Paris, the TFA officials have already switched gears to field a cracking unit. While their aim is to make it to the finals of the International Dannone Cup to be held in Paris, they are also steadfast on sending a team comprising local players.

“We intend to pick a strong squad, as the tournament will be an easy one.

The probables are local residents and study in different schools of the steel city. We are at present watching the aspirants in a selection trial,” said Ranjan Chowdhury, the coach of the Jamshedpur-based TFA.

He said that TFA would be sending a 14-member team to Delhi, including two officials.

Chowdhury added that they had applied for entry to the Delhi tourney and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has given its nod.

Significantly, the TFA has also launched a youth development programme.

It has formed a centre for excellence where promising talents are imparted training under experienced hands and all their requirements are taken care of.

The effort is aimed at working at the grassroots and picking the right kind of young talent.

Sanjeeva Singh, chief of TFA, said: “It’s a honour for us to play in the tournament in Delhi.

By sending the under-12 outfit we intend to provide exposure to the emerging footballers. It’s basically a part of our youth develop- ment programme.”

Singh stated that TFA has the required expertise and infrastructure to give shape to its youth development programme. “We are looking at schoolboys. We are sending an under-12 outfit to a tournament for the first time. I hope they will fare well in the tournament and this also give them a wonderful exposure that will stand them in good stead,” he added.