KOCHI: Youngsters of Kochi will soon get a chance to hone their dribbling skills. The 110-year-old Coronation Club at Mattanchery, a historical part of the city, is starting a new football academy. “The academy will be a boon for those who are interested in making football a career. The ground has been laid with an all weather-proof turf, in a first-of-its-kind setup in West Kochi. Currently, 35 players from the area have enrolled in the programme,” said Junaid Sulaiman, president, Coronation Club.
The training will be given from 6am till 8.30am at the academy. Ebin Mathew, who has been training teams in Delhi earlier, will be coaching the students. “Our youngest student is just three and a half-years old. Karun is so enthusiastic that he hasn’t missed a single day of coaching till now. Our oldest is a Plus-One student,” Junaid said.
Our aim is to equip students to play at national-level games like in Santhosh Trophy, said Junaid. “We had recently organised a friendly match with the police team and the club won by 5-2,” he said. The club has produced many worthy players in the past. “Atit B Shah is a three-time winner at the 52nd Kerala Billiards and Snooker Championship. In badminton, Jaison Xavier and Markose Bristo played for India.
Jaison’s son Beiyon has been a winner in the under-14 category at the national badminton championships. Jaison and Markose had been playing at the club since their childhood,” said Junaid. Incidentally, the club is the first to have a wooden badminton court in West Kochi. “It has facilities to play cricket, billiards and table tennis. The club is a stone’s throw away from the Dutch Palace. In total, there are 290 members,” he added.