KOCHI: It may be their first competitive tournament, but they played it like a pro. The AIFF Baby League, which helped young players take their baby steps on the football ground, concluded recently at the Ambedkar Stadium in Kochi. And the results were awe inspiring! The tourney promoted by Scoreline Sports, Kochi was held under the auspice of All India Football Federation (AIFF).
Joao Pedro, a UEFA licenced coach from Portugal, handed over the trophies and certificates to the winners in the presence of KFA general secretary Anil Kumar P. "I am extremely happy to see the kids playing in a league platform. It is important for these aspiring footballers to play on a regular basis. The league which spanned about five months has ensured the perfect platform for the kids aged between seven and 13 years," said Joao Pedro who is currently working as the head coach of Scoreline Football Academy.
The tournament held in U-9, U-11, U-13 categories saw 168 matches in total from November 2018 to March 2019. FACT Football Academy emerged the U-11 champions, whereas Golden Eagles bagged U-9 and U-13 titles.
The League, which grew better by the day, witnessed many a nail-biting sessions with teams battling each other in all three categories. Since several matches took place on Saturdays, it gave students a chance to learn how to balance sports and academics hand in hand. "It has been a memorable experience for us. Although we locked horns in the intra-academy matches, the Baby league provided us with the first-ever professional approach of football. With the foolproof coordination, we didn't have any glitches throughout the event," said Nived, a participant.
Apart from the chief guest Joao Pedro, Scoreline Academy coach Musa Ibrahim, Ernakulam district football association secretary P Paulose also attended the prize distribution ceremony.