He is all of 10, but is already bending it like Beckham.

Meet Kuntal Pakhira, the soccer whizz-kid whose wonderful control over the ball left everyone spellbound at U-Dream, a talent hunt organised by U Sports, the sports division of Unilazer Ventures, at Tata Football Academy (TFA) on Thursday.

The Tata cradle, a facilitator of the programme, invited the budding footballer from Serampore near Calcutta, along with 179 other schoolchildren aged between 13 and 14 years, to display their skills before German coach of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim Michél Mazingu-Dinzey.

U Sports has partnered with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for the first edition of U-Dream football, aimed at creating a rich pool of Indian talent and transform them into global sportspersons.

And Kuntal played his part with élan, juggling the ball with his legs and head for over 10 minutes, drawing applause from TFA mentors and parents of aspiring footballers aged between 13 and 14.

Kuntal's skills impressed Mazingu-Dinzey so much that the German mentor quickly clicked his pictures while in action and sent them to the club authorities, who immediately hailed him as an exceptional talent and invited him for training in Germany in October.

This will be a separate training exclusive of the talent hunt, which aims to select 30 footballers from across the nation and send then to Zuzenhausen, Germany, for training at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's Youth Training Academy for six years.

'The kid looks impressive. Tremendous prowess. Watch out for him,' Mazingu-Dinzey said.

TFA is also planning to take the soccer talent under its wings. 'I've been watching Kuntal for around two years. He frequently comes to Jamshedpur to train at our feeder centre for under-10 boys. He has a sound technique and shoots with both feet, which is very rare at this tender age. We are planning to take him under our wings permanently and will speak to his father,' TFA mentor P. Vijay Kumar, a former international footballer, said while watching the boy in action at the greens.

Accompanied by father Samaresh Pakhira, Kuntal was quick in his response when asked about his ambition. 'I dream of playing for my country. I only think of soccer, nothing else,' said the Class V student of Mahesh High School, Serampore.

Meanwhile, Utkramit Uchh Vidyalaya (Kolebira) on Thursday defeated Silpahari Uchh Vidyalaya (Gurma) 1-0 to clinch a seven-a-side football at U-Dream. Four boys from East Singhbhum - Laxman Baskey, Chetan Hansda (both from Utkramit Uchh Vidyalaya), Jairam Hansda and Samir Murmu (of Simpahari Uchh Vidyalaya) - have been selected for the next round in Goa in September.