Making of football champs by the TN coast

CHENNAI: While the Indian men’s football team continues to struggle without a win throughout 2014 and slipping to its lowest-ever FIFA ranking, and the women’s side offered a brief reprieve by qualifying for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after 22 years, these factors tell only one part of the story. Far from the media glare, in a quiet coastal village in Kanniyakumari district, groups of children were simply handed a ball and told to do what they loved most: play the beautiful game.

Thoothoor, a village predominantly inhabited by a fishing community, sits on the Arabian Sea coast. It is a close-knit settlement with its own churches, arts and science institutions, local sports clubs, and even a designated sports secretary and coach. And, each Church in the region fields its own football team.

This year, the Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) initiative gave the village a renewed purpose by introducing what they called the Coastal League. Launched in March, the league featured 14 teams competing across four age groups: Under-7, Under-9, Under-11, and Under-13.

Catching’em young

For a community accustomed to hosting competitive football only for senior players, this marked the first time children, who train at local academies but rarely get competitive exposure until much later, were thrust into the match-day experience.

“The coaches were very supportive of the programme,” said Tubin S, the on-ground league coordinator for RFYC. “They train these children every day, and helping them get this sort of match experience at such a young age could go a long way in building their skills.”

Thoothoor has a rich footballing tradition and has produced several state-level players such as Reagan Albarnas and A Jackson Dhas. But one name stands tallest: former India international and Indian Super League champion Michael Soosairaj. He was in attendance during the semi-finals and finals, watching children from his hometown compete for top honours.

“It was a different experience,” Soosairaj told DT Next. “A lot of parents came up to me and expressed their joy. They were proud to see their children playing football in such a structured setting. This can be a great opportunity to scout talent from coastal areas.”

One of the biggest challenges in Indian football, Soosairaj pointed out, is the lack of a clear pathway for young players. “When a kid is playing well, he keeps going, tries hard, but at some point, he hits a wall and doesn’t know how to move forward,” he explained. “Leagues like this can help break that barrier. Kids in these villages play football, and they play well but they don’t get recognition. They get lost in the system. When a league is conducted especially for them, and scouts turn up to watch, that’s a huge step forward.”

Soosairaj also emphasised that footballing instinct is often natural for children in coastal areas, but nurturing that talent requires more. “They need proper infrastructure, guidance on maintaining fitness, access to technology, and structured support to transition into senior-level football,” he said.

The three-month league brought with it a mini-revolution in Thoothoor. Many believe the infrastructural upgrades will have a lasting impact. RFYC prioritised player safety by clearing stones and gravel from the St Jude’s College ground – the venue for the tournament, levelling the pitch with red sand and marking the field based on age categories. The foundation also provided bibs and refreshments for all players on match-days.

Why Thoothoor?

The Coastal League wasn’t conceived over a matter of weeks or even months. Its roots stretch back to years, to a time when the world was grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was then that former Tamil Nadu footballer Edwinraj Thomas, a native of Thoothoor, introduced Steve Charles, Head of Scouting at Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC), to his coastal village and shared how football is more than just a sport, it’s a way of life for their community.

In this seaside settlement, you’ll find children wearing jerseys of the latest World Cup winner and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, as well as those of legends from the past like Champions League winner and Italian great Paolo Maldini. Local jersey stores are named after European countries and stock a striking collection of both modern and retro kits, a rather remarkable sight for a village nestled by the Arabian Sea, with the nearest airport some 45 km away.

Charles first visited Thoothoor in 2021. From the moment he arrived, it was evident to him that football was deeply ingrained in the local culture, despite the lack of basic infrastructure. “The region, largely Jesuit-run, is built on fishing and football, both passed down through generations,” said Steve. “The kids are raw, fearless, and full of potential, but they lack opportunities. Many have to move to Chennai or Kerala when they’re barely 10 or 12 years to pursue their football dreams.”

Steve was intent on creating a footballing ecosystem within the region, one where children could remain in their natural environment, stay with their families, and still receive long-term, structured training. Years later, that vision came to life in the form of the RFYC Coastal League.

Even before the league officially began, Steve had already identified talent in the region. He scouted Roshan in March 2022 and Sinjith in 2023, both from Thoothoor, and today, the two are part of the RFYC Under-19 squad.

Scepticism over success

Although football runs deep in this region, communication channels remain somewhat old-school. This presented a significant challenge for Chinnathurai’s St Jude’s School principal G Annlet, who struggled to spread the word about the league in its early days.

“We sought the help of the parish priest, and they were very supportive. Through them, we were able to reach out to the local clubs,” said Annlet. “Initially, the response was lukewarm, but after the first match, we started receiving many enquiries. More teams wanted to participate.”

Children as young as seven or nine had only seen professional players wearing bibs during training and proper kits on match-days. That visual alone was often enough to spark a dream – that one day donning a similar jersey and playing at a professional level.

The Coastal League offered them a taste of that dream. “The children are very young, and they are excited to wear the Reliance jerseys and play football,” added Annlet. “I hope that this league will be extended in the future. It can become second nature for the children to have matches to look forward to every weekend. Parents too will become more involved and ensure their children reach the grounds on time.”

‘Our children were excited for Saturday’

The league, which began in March, followed a structured format with fixtures scheduled over weekends. Bobin J Miranda, a father of two, watched both his sons take part: Brayden Dante, who represented Netaji Sports Academy in the Under-11 category, and Shane Grayson, who played as goalkeeper in the Under-7 team and went on to win the title.

Pic caption: A little boy playing during the tournament

“It was nothing short of a festival here. On Friday evenings, our children would start asking when the match is happening the next day. We’re very happy and grateful that this tournament was conducted here,” smiled Bobin.

Parents observed that the tournament brought a newfound discipline into their children’s lives. It taught them the importance of waking up early, following a routine, and attending training sessions regularly.

Bobin also appreciated RFYC’s role in upgrading the playing conditions at the local grounds, where most children train. “I live close to the college ground and I go there every day because my children play there. Compared to how it was before, it’s much better now. The risk of injury has come down significantly, as the ground has been cleaned and levelled,” he added.

Bobin also pointed out that it would be difficult to find such natural footballing talent in the younger age groups elsewhere in the country.

The excitement among parents was palpable. As their children played competitive matches, they cheered loudly from the side-lines, shouted instructions, and even ran alongside the pitch. That was the kind of connection and spirit this short, three-month league sparked in the heart of the village.