Slips, slides, tackles and the best of footballing talent from Delhi-NCR — SARE Homes Hindustan Times Great Indian Football Action (HT GIFA) is back for a bigger, more thrilling fourth season!
The initiative that kicked- off in 2013 to promote grassroots football, soon took over the city’s football scene. It’s now popular as a platform that nurtures young and aspiring talent, giving them a chance to train under the best football coaches, and compete with other champs amid proper infrastructure.
With 50 teams from Gurgaon to start with, HT GIFA went on to enjoy participation from 2,300 teams from across Delhi-NCR (Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Noida) in its third edition, last year. The sportsmanship and skills of over 20,000 children left the audiences impressed. Among last year’s highlights was Bollywood’s khiladi Akshay Kumar’s presence. The actor declared the tournament open on September 24, 2016, lauded the children for participation and urged parents to continue supporting their kids’ love for the beautiful game. One team that stood out amid all the gifted participants was My Angel’s Academy. A group of underprivileged children coached by Slyvester Peter, it was a perfect example of how sports can transform lives.
The four-month tournament was packed with jaw-dropping football moments and infectious team spirit, and the champions were crowned at the closing ceremony at the CWG Village Sports Complex on October 9. KKolar Sassy FC (in the senior category; Class IX to XII) from Gurgaon and Noida Demons (in the junior category; Class V to VIII) lifted the cup of dreams, along with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh each, and scholarship from Arsenal Soccer School for all team players. The runners-up, Vatika Football Academy (in the junior category) and Columban FC (in the senior category), bagged a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each.
{{/usCountry}}The four-month tournament was packed with jaw-dropping football moments and infectious team spirit, and the champions were crowned at the closing ceremony at the CWG Village Sports Complex on October 9. KKolar Sassy FC (in the senior category; Class IX to XII) from Gurgaon and Noida Demons (in the junior category; Class V to VIII) lifted the cup of dreams, along with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh each, and scholarship from Arsenal Soccer School for all team players. The runners-up, Vatika Football Academy (in the junior category) and Columban FC (in the senior category), bagged a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each.
{{/usCountry}}Pumped for the Season 4? Registration opens on July 15. Log on to htgifa.hindustantimes.com to know more about the sport gala.