THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs has planned 10 coaching camps across the state in the second leg of the ‘Kick Off’ project, launched by the Kerala Government to identify and mould football talents at an early age.
The camps will be held at G V HSS Kulathoor, Neyttatinkara, Chavara Sankaramangalam GHSS (Kollam), Kaviyur KNM GHSS (Pathanamthitta), Kalavur GHSS (Alapuzha), Vaikom GB HSS (Kottayam), Kattappana Government Tribal HSS (Idukki), Elamkunnapuzha GHSS (Ernakulam), Manathala GHSS (Thrissur), Karakurissi GHSS (Palakkad) and Chittariparambu GHSS (Kannur).
The ‘ Kick off’ project was inaugurated by Minister for Industries, Sports and Youth Affairs, E P Jayarajan, in November last year, with aim of imparting scientific training to budding football talents by roping in the services of expert coaches from India and abroad.
Boys born between January 2007 and December 2008 are eligible to seek selection for the camps under the programme. Each camp will admit 25 boys.
Those interested in joining the camps can obtain the details and make registration through the website www.sportskeralakickoff.org. Those who successfully complete the registration will get the registration number through SMS and appear for selection with Aadhar card, character certificate and the date of birth certificate issued by the head of the educational institution they are studying. They should report with these documents at the Spot Registration Counter set up at the centres specified for them.
The dates fixed for the selection process at various places are: Chittariparambu (January 19), Neyyattinkarama, Manathala (January 21), Karakurissi, Sankaramangalam ( January 22), Elamkunnapuzha, Kaviyur (January 23), Kalavur, Vaikom (January 24) and Kattappana (January 25). The final list of selected candidates will be published on February 8.
The selected candidates will be trained by leading coaches, including those from abroad, and technical experts. In the first leg of the project, camps were held in 18 centres in 14 districts.