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First Post
05-08-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Inside Punjab FC's mission to nurture India's future football talent
With 16 training centres located in the state of Punjab, Indian Super League club Punjab FC is nurturing the next generation of Indian football stars at the grassroots level, the impact of which can already be felt in junior leagues where the team has established itself as a force. read more The victorious Punjab FC team after winning the 2024-25 AIFF Junior League. Image credit: Punjab FC Punjab FC, the club that had joined the Indian Super League as its 12th team in 2023, has been doing its part in developing Indian sport at the grassroots level by nurturing young talent with world-class coaching and education at its training centres in the state of Punjab. More than a hundred potential stars train across 16 centres located in cities such as Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Attari and Patiala under the guidance of nearly 30 coaches, nutritionists, doctors, physiotherapists and support staff. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And the impact of that investment can be gauged by the results that it has produced in the form of 11 Indian internationals across senior, U23, U19 and U17 levels in just four years. More from Football It is this youth training programme that helped the club win the AIFF U17 Elite League, the AIFF U15 Junior League and won the Dream Sports Championship U17 for the second consecutive year. Punjab FC players who have represented India across age groups Abhishek Singh Tekcham – India Senior Team – First Punjab FC player called up to Indian senior national team (Mar 2025). – Also featured for India U23 squad Nikhil Prabhu – India Senior Team – Led ISL in interceptions (2024–25) – Called up to Indian national team (May 2025) – Played in AFC Asian Cup qualifiers Pramveer – India U23 – Youngest player to start an ISL match – Represented India in AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers Muhammed Suhail – India U23 – Third youngest to register ISL assist – Called up to India U23 national team camp – Player of the Tournament in 2024 RFDL Mangenthang Kipgen – India U23 – Best Player of Tournament in 2023 SAFF U19 scoring 2 goals in final. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD – Called up to India U23 national team camp. – Top scorer in 2024 RFDL Singamayum Shami – India U19 – Youngest-ever ISL goalscorer. – Captained India U19 to 2025 SAFF Championship win Omang Dodum – India U19 – Part of 2025 SAFF U19 Championship-winning team scoring 3 goals in tournament. – Second highest scorer in 2025 SAFF U19 Championship Vishal Yadav – India U17 – Third-youngest ISL debutant – Third highest scorer in 2025 SAFF U17 Championship – 17 goals in 2024–25 Elite Youth League – Player of the Tournament in 2025 Dream Sports Championship Karish Soram – India U17 – Part of India's 2024 U17 SAFF winning team. – Helped Punjab FC win 2024–25 Elite Youth League Usham Thongamba – India U17 – Called up to India U17 national team camp Aniket Yadav – India U17 – Called up to India U17 national team camp PFC's Trophy Cabinet: – I-League - PFC Senior Team Won in 2022-23 Season – Reliance Foundation Development League - Won in 2024 – JSW Youth Cup - U-13 Team Won in 2023 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD – JSW Youth Cup - U-18 Team Won in 2022 – JSW Youth Cup - U-15 Team Won in 2022 – AIFF U17 Elite League 2024-25 – AIFF U15 Junior League 2024-25 – Dream Sports Championship U17 in season 20230-24 and 2024-25
Hans India
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
First-timers Suhail Bhat, Nikhil Prabhu, Hrithik Tiwari dream of a bigger future in Blue Tigers colours
Kolkata: Every senior national team camp is a home of dreams. Dreams of the first training session, the first step onto the pitch wearing the blue of India, the first cap, the first goal. In Kolkata this time, three newcomers resonate with that - Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Nikhil Prabhu, and Hrithik Tiwari. Bhat, aged 20, the youngest member of the camp, was two months old when Sunil Chhetri made his senior India debut and scored his first goal. Now, the two strikers train together on the same pitch. It's perhaps impossible to find any young Indian striker who doesn't idolise Chhetri. "It is surreal to train with Chhetri bhai, and have conversations with him. I always wanted to know how it feels to be with him," Bhat told the AIFF's website. "It was a dream to be here in the senior team. After beginning with the U16s and gradually climbing the ladder to the U19s and U23s, the hunger to be in the senior national team always remained. It isn't easy to come here, it needs a lot of hard work. The best players in the country are here, so it's a dream come true for me to be here and train with these guys. Bhat, who plays his club football for Mohun Bagan SG, has played U16 and U23 internationals for India. He was part of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers squad in 2023 at just 18 years of age. After three days of training with the senior team, Suhail shared the difference he has felt after the step up. "I can see the difference clearly. We represent the country in the youth team as well, but the senior team is totally different. The competition is much higher. The gap is much bigger. "I dream of making my debut. Not just for me, but also for my family and the entire Kashmir. My dream is Kashmir's dream. I'll keep working really hard," Suhail added. Defensive midfielder Nikhil Prabhu is also living the dream of the first camp, but feels it is just the start. "The call-up felt like a dream coming true, not just mine, but also my parents'. I knew I was living the dream I had worked so hard for, but at the same time, I felt that this was just the beginning of the journey," Prabhu said. The 24-year-old put on consistent performances for Punjab FC in the Indian Super League this season, with India head coach Manolo Márquez especially impressed with his versatility and duels. "At the club, you play alongside foreigners and have a certain style of setup. But in the national team, you are playing with some of the names you have grown up watching, and that itself brings a special kind of feeling and responsibility," Prabhu said. 'The atmosphere in the camp has been really positive. I am learning a lot from my teammates and seniors, both on and off the pitch. I had been working hard on the field and waiting patiently for this opportunity," he added. For goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari, the camp presents a significant learning opportunity to not just learn from the best custodians in India but also compete against them and earn a spot in the matchday squad. "The camp environment has been amazing, very professional, but also incredibly warm and welcoming. Training at this level, especially as a goalkeeper, pushes you every single day. I'm really enjoying it and learning a lot from experienced keepers like Amrinder (Singh) paaji, Vishal (Kaith) bhai, and Gurmeet (Singh) bhai, some of the best goalkeepers in the country." Manolo Marquez, who is also Tiwari's coach at FC Goa, perceives a successful future for him, stating that the 23-year-old would be a top goalkeeper in India. The national team camp is the start of the journey to the top. "Getting the call-up was an unbelievable moment, something I've dreamed about since I first started playing football. I've worked really hard over the years and made a lot of sacrifices, so this means everything to me, my family, and everyone who's supported me along the way. It's also a reminder that the hard work doesn't stop here," Tiwari shared.
