By Ajit Nayak, TNN
The Sambalpur Football Academy is at Pitapali, 12 km away from here, to create international footballers. The academy is attached to a high school where the trainees study. Last month, the students won the prestigious 9th All Indian Inter Academy Football Championship in Chandigarh.
The infrastructure at Sambalpur football academy has impressed former German international footballer Harald Braner. Talking to TOI on Wednesday, Braner, a professional coach, said the academy is a 'paradise' for footballers. Braner, who was in the academy for a five-day coaching programme, is accompanied by his son Frank, a doctorate in football.
He said Germany was a top side in football because of the available infrastructure and training of players at different academies functioning in the country. "Though there is no dearth of talent in India, the country is lagging behind for lack of technical support and training. I hope the Sambalpur Football Academy (SFA) will be able to bridge the gap," Braner said.
Officials and students of SFA expressed satisfaction over the coaching by Braner and Frank. "The father-son duo was teaching the students various new techniques. We hope Braner's visit was quite helpful for our students," senior academy official Atanu Ghose said.
Official instructor of All India Football Federation Charles G J appreciated the people of Sambalpur for creating such an academy in a remote area of the country and said it was comparable to any international-level academy. "I have visited many football academies, including the Tata Football Academy, but I have never seen such a beautiful academy anywhere in the country," Charles said.
