BENGALURU: The initiation of Indian Super League in 2013 has continuously provided a bigger platform for homegrown talents. When it comes to the shorter format of the game, Mini Football has come across as the ideal sport for young talents to improvise and improve on their skills, which are crucial for their individual performance. On January 11, the second edition of the Sub Junior National Mini Football Championship will witness the Karnataka Under-14 and Under-12 Boys team compete for the crown at the MMFC Football Turf, Pune. Led by coaches Phillips C and Jeffrin Joseph, the tournament will witness close to 15 state teams going head-to-head over the course of the two-day tournament. The amateur sporting tournament will comprise six-a-side team with football turf spanning across 60-90 feet (18.30-27.45 metre) in width and 90-150 feet (27.45-45.75 metre) in length and will play two halves of 20 minutes each.
Speaking about the sport, Philips says the individual skills can be improved to a great extent given the smaller turf and team. “Here, kids can improve on their man-marking and dribbling attributes primarily because the field is well-designed and the running is comparatively less when compared to the longer format. It is a fairly new concept in India but has already gained prominence in Europe. With national-level tournaments, the exposure adds to the player’s benefit,” says Philips.
The Karnataka team comprises 12 players each in the Under-14 and Under-12 category, with kids hailing from Sri Vidyamanya Vidya Kendra, Vidyamanya Nagar and St Clarets school, Jalahalli. Mohammed Shahzin, captain, Under-14, says, “It’s a great deal of exposure for young kids like us. The major advantage is that it helps improve our skills and individual game. Team coordination is also easier due to the six-a-side team.”
While the sport is slowly gaining familiarity among people, Joseph emphasises that shorter formats bring out a certain amount of quickness and increased energy levels among players. “In this format, the players are quicker and sharper, which benefits their overall performance. We can see individual talents coming up where even a defender makes runs to the goal, which is extraordinary. It helps them in the longer format as they can start developing and specialising on a smaller area before moving to other areas which is a smart and steady approach,” he adds.