Local players dominate Pune FC's 23-man squad for the inaugural Under-15 Youth League
The team consisting of 16 Pune players make up a 23-man squad which will be up against five other sides namely; Mumbai FC, Kenkre FC, PIFA Colaba and Steadfast Academy (all from Mumbai) apart from DSK Shivajians FC in the Maharashtra Zone.
The zonal phase will be played on a home and away basis, just like the Under-18 I-League, with top two teams from each zone qualifying for the Final Phase which will be held at a neutral venue.
Speaking ahead of the competition, Pune FC Under-15 Coach Mohan Dass said, “With 40 teams participating from all over India, the Youth League will be a massive tournament. It’s very important for Pune FC as we want our youngsters to get valuable competitive exposure at this age which will help them as they progress further. Our aim is to do well in this tournament and we are very excited.”
The team also boasts of two players - Chaitanya Advani and Aadarsh Vanjare - who come directly from the now-established Pune FC Soccer Schools, the club’s mega-scale grassroots programme which trains kids from 6-years-old at five centres across Pune.
“Our goal has always been developing local talent at the grassroots level. The fact that players from the Pune FC Soccer Schools have made it into the team is a testament to our Grassroots programme,” added Coach Mohan Dass.
For Pune FC, the biggest clashes in the zonal phase will be the local derbies against DSK Shivajians. While the home leg will be played on the opening day, Pune FC will travel away to Loni for the second leg on 3rd January, 2016.
The Team
Goalkeepers: Muhammed Shahad, Deepak Saravanan, Nikhil Durga (St. Joseph’s Boys’ HS, Khadki)
Defenders: Raoul Dubey (Symbiosis International, Vimannagar), Sachin K, Hendry A, Aryan Thite (Bishop’s HS, Camp), Saurabh Salpe (Krida Prabodhini), Siddhant Punjabi (Bishop’s HS, Camp)
Midfielders: Aryan Irani (Bishop’s HS, Camp), Cladeo Nongpluh (Spicer Memorial HS), Shreepad Dorge (Loyola HS), Aabheer Potadar (Vidya Valley HS), Ishan Dey (Bishop’s HS, Kalyaninagar), Gulam Ansari (Pimple-Gurav HS), Chaitanya Advani (Symbiosis International, Vimannagar), Mozaffar Ali, Aadarsh Vanjare (Alegaonkar HS, Khadki)
Strikers: Amey Talegavkar (Amruta Vidyalaya, Pimpri), Ved Pillai (Orchid School, Balewadi), Aakash Banerjee, Syed Jaabir Pasha, Piyush Manjrekar (DAV Public School)
Fixtures
08/11/2015 – Pune FC vs. DSK Shivajians at Pune FC Training Pitches, Mamurdi
15/11/2015 – Steadfast Academy vs. Pune FC at All Saints School, Bhiwandi
22/11/2015 – Pune FC vs. PIFA Colaba at Pune FC Training Pitches, Mamurdi
27/11/2015 – Kenkre FC vs. Pune FC at Cooperage Ground, Mumbai
06/12/2015 – Mumbai FC vs. Pune FC at Cooperage Ground, Mumbai
12/12/2015 – Pune FC vs. Kenkre FC at Pune FC Training Pitches, Mamurdi
20/12/2015 – Pune FC vs. Steadfast Academy at Pune FC Training Pitches, Mamurdi
26/12/2015 – PIFA Colaba vs. Pune FC at Cooperage Ground, Mumbai
03/01/2016 – DSK Shivajians vs. Pune FC at DSK Football Field, Loni
10/01/2016 – Pune FC vs. Mumbai FC at Pune FC Training Pitches, Mamurdi
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