Bengaluru: Two-time BDFA Super Division runners-up South United FC are in the midst of conducting selection trials for their youth squad at Nandan Football Ground in the city, aiming at a timely integration into the first team squad to prolong a tradition of recruitment of national-level tournaments.
“We get many players who are under the age of 16 and 17, and train them as we would the first team, fitting them into our system,” said head coach Santhosh Kiran at a press-conference on Wednesday.
31 players have passed the initial rounds and could be narrowed down further.
“We want to build an ecosystem for footballers as a feeder club towards honing talent for the country. This includes their education on the pitch as well as off it,” said club owner Sharan Parikh.
The club also announced that it would be taking part in up to five pre-season tournaments, before featuring in the BDFA Super Division 2017-18. It also hopes to foster more call-ups, like the seven club players that went to represent Karnataka in the Santosh Trophy, and 17-year-old goalkeeper Kabir Taufiq who was picked for an India U-22 camp earlier this year.
