March 5 – Bundesliga International has linked with Indian scouting platform BigHit to take young Indian footballers to Germany.
Over the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons, six Under-13 and Under-15 teams will visit Bundesliga clubs in an effort to access India’s untapped football potential.
India has struggled to make a mark in international football and limped out of the recent Asian Cup in Qatar, where they finished bottom of their group without scoring a goal.
The youth development initiative, named ‘Bundesliga Dream India’, aims to provide a transformative experience for youth players, offering a week-long immersive program within Bundesliga club youth academies.
The week will include intensive training sessions and friendly matches.
Peter Naubert, Bundesliga International Chief Marketing Officer, said: “It is an exciting time for football in India, where more than half of the world’s biggest population is under 25 years of age. We have seen tremendous growth in the interest for football, particularly concerning those aged 16-24 who are tuning in to watch their favourite Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 teams.
“On the pitch, the talent is also evident, and we were pleased to host the India U17 national team in Germany last year, to see the potential up close. Now we are taking our efforts one step further, working with BigHit to establish a platform for promising young players from India to shine.”
In its inaugural edition, FC Augsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt will host squads of of U-13 and U-15 players.
The Bundesliga has focussed development on the Asian region and has more Asian players in its leagues than any of the other Big 5 European leagues.
Shaktie Prakash, BigHit co-founder and chief executive officer, said: “As the exclusive partner of the ‘Bundesliga Dream’ initiative in India, we are excited to offer the young and driven Indian youth talent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a world class level of training early in their lives. Together, with Bundesliga International, we are poised to pioneer a game-changing movement in the sport.”
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1713961511labto1713961511ofdlr1713961511owedi1713961511sni@g1713961511niwe.1713961511yrrah1713961511
