CFA facing existential crisis

Gaurav Kanthwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 18

At a time when the country is gushing about the Chandigarh Football Academy’s (CFA) assembly line production of international footballers for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, it may come as a rude shock that the elite institute is facing an existential crisis.

It has been more than two months since its head coach resigned from the post citing “arrogant behaviour” of the UT Sports Department bureaucrats. At present, the academy, specifically mooted to produce international footballers, is being run by two coaches who have not played beyond the inter-university level.

Sources said the administration was dithering to appoint a new coach with an international experience. Reason being, the academy only has stipulated posts of two junior coaches. Salary for a coach with international experience is another factor.  

Mahender Singh, Joint Director, UT Sports Department, said: “We have advertised the post of athletics and swimming (coaches). The process to hire a good football coach through the Sports Council is underway. We have put up the file with the higher authorities…we will be organising the Administrator’s Cup soon.” 

Since 2014, 14-16 footballers out of a total of 48, inducted in 2011-12, have quit the seven-year course at the academy midway in search of greener pastures.

Trainees leave the CFA midway because it does not take part in the U-16 I-League and the clubs exploit this handicap to poach junior footballers from here. The elite football academy is desperately struggling to play two-to-three national tournaments in their age group. 

Last year, the CFA colts played just two national-level championships — Subroto Cup and National School Games. Things have come to such a pass that, at times, the CFA has found it difficult to muster the playing XI.

Foreign exposure trips, envisaged at the time of setting up of the academy, were junked the very next year.

The UT Administration spends nearly Rs 1.5 lakh per child every year, with boarding and lodging being absolutely free for the trainees. Their education is taken care of by Government Model High School, Sector 36-D, Chandigarh.

Had it been any other academy, it would have been fine, for most of the residential academies in the region are thriving on mediocrity. But the CFA, a brainchild of the then Governor of Punjab and UT Administrator Lt. Gen. JFR Jacob, was established in 1999 with an express aim of raising international footballers for the country. 

Children from across the country in the age group of 10-12 years were inducted after qualifying various athletic parameters and trained at the residential academy for seven years, making it a crucial feeder line for top-notch clubs and the national team.

Two former India players --- Harjinder Singh and Tejinder Singh were hired as coaches to oversee the training of the interns in a well-furbished academy boasting of state of the art infrastructure. 

Foreign exposure trips and various domestic tournaments were identified, including the institution of Administrator’s Cup in Chandigarh, to provide competitive atmosphere to the trainees. But, with the passage of time the standards have been watered down.