Kerala Blasters joins hands with Hyderabad Football Academy

Mr. Nimmagadda Prasad, co-owner of the Kerala football franchisee, said that the specific objective was to provide a platform for the abundance of young talent in and around the Telangana State capital.

Mr Nimmagadda Prasad, co-owner of Kerala Blasters, seen with his players Rino Anto and Prashanth, in Hyderabad on Wednesday. The Kerala team will join hands with Hyderabad Football Academy to promote the sport in a big way in the state.

In a bid to give football a major fillip at grass-roots level in Hyderabad, Kerala Blasters partnered with Hyderabad Football Academy (HFA) on Wednesday.

Mr. Nimmagadda Prasad, co-owner of the Kerala football franchisee, said that the specific objective was to provide a platform for the abundance of young talent in and around the Telangana State capital.

“And, also given the rich history of football here especially in the golden era of Indian football , when players from Hyderabad dominated the national scene till late 80s, we thought it was our moral obligation to help the soccer crazy fans and the players,” he explained.

For someone who is intent on sports promotion - he is the co-owner of Pro Kabaddi League team Tamil Thailavas and even donated a substantial amount for setting up the Gopi Chand Academy in Gachibowli - Prasad hoped that this initiative would go a long way in promoting the sport.

He assured that players from Kerala Blasters and the support staff would constantly interact with the HFA in this regard.

“I am honestly impressed with the professional approach of the HFA and also their long-term goals. You cannot think for today or tomorrow only. You have to have a long-term vision. Though funding a sports team always doesn’t mean making profits, I am committed to promoting sports in my own way,” Prasad said.

“I sincerely believe that in the near future we will see players from Hyderabad representing Kerala Blasters in the ISL. If the sincerity and the commitment of HFA trio of founder-director Mohammad Atif Hyder and Directors Pavan Kumar Duvva, Tejo Ananth Dasari are any hint, the results are bound to be good,” he said.

Atif Hyder was grateful to Kerala Blasters for reposing such faith in the state's football academy and promised to put in the desired efforts to change the face of the game in Hyderabad.  Plans are already underway to include a Schools League, setting up 10 professional football academies in the city and also provide coaches to an NGO that works with the government schools.