India U-17 national team arrives for Bundesliga and DFB training camp ahead of 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup

• India team will visit DFB Campus and train with FC Augsburg and VfB Stuttgart youth teams as part of a 15-day training camp ahead of 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup in Thailand
• DFL, DFB, AIFF and Bundesliga clubs worked in collaboration to create tailored training camp programme
• Bundesliga content partner and India’s leading digital sports hub Khel Now will be on the ground, following the team and reporting on all the action

In coordination with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the German Football Association (DFB), the India U-17 national team has travelled to Germany to begin an intensive training camp with two Bundesliga sides.

Having arrived on Tuesday 16 May, the 32-strong delegation will stay in Germany for 15 days, training and playing against the youth teams from FC Augsburg and VfB Stuttgart as they prepare for the 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup in Thailand later this year.

The team will also visit the DFB’s new training facility, used by the German men’s national team ahead of international fixtures.

As well as a tailored training programme to support the young players in their tactical and physical development, the group will also take part in specialised classroom sessions on topics such as sports psychology, nutrition and recovery.

Bundesliga content partner and leading digital sports hub Khel Now will be on the ground, following the team and reporting on all the action from the training camp. As well as broadcasting matches, Khel Now will cover the team’s journey with daily vlogs, interviews and behind-the-scenes access.

Bundesliga International Chief Marketing Officer Peer Naubert said: “As one of the world’s most popular football leagues, we are committed to supporting the growth of the game around the world, and the opportunity to help the AIFF in developing its young talent is something that aligns perfectly with our football philosophy.

“The Bundesliga is renowned globally for the talent it has developed in recent years, and has seen more Asian players in the last 20 years than the other top four European leagues combined. We are looking forward to working with the AIFF and these young Indian players as they continue their footballing education.”

AIFF Secretary General Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran said: “We would like to thank the DFB, the Bundesliga cubs, and DFL management for accommodating the India U-17 team, and for organising our training camps, as well as providing them with the opportunity to play training matches against the junior teams of two big clubs. This will help our U-17 team prepare for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup. Being in Germany, the players are very much encouraged to compete at a stronger level.

“We would like to have a long-term collaboration with our partners in Germany, and the training of the U-17 team there is just the beginning. We will have elaborate discussions in the near future and fine-tune our partnership with the DFB, where we see young talents get a bigger stage in Germany in the future, whereby we gain from the expertise of German football to further develop the game in India.”

Christina Gassner, DFB Director Institutional and Political Relations & Strategy, said: “The visit of the AIFF U-17 team ahead of the tournament in Thailand is a very good example of the close partnership between the DFB and the AIFF. We wish the team well for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup and are looking forward to further developing the ties to our Indian friends.”

Looking forward to the Germany leg of the U-17 team's preparatory tour, Khel Now Co-Founder and CEO Ashish Negi said, "In the last seven years, Khel Now has established itself as the most trusted source for Indian football, including domestic leagues and our national teams. Earlier this year, we announced an exciting collaboration with the Bundesliga to bring the German game closer to fans in India and the subcontinent. I am thrilled that we will be leveraging the same spirit of mutual cooperation to bring fans some exciting content during the U-17 team's time in Germany.

There is a strong relationship between German and Indian football at the federation, league and club levels. In November 2019, the DFB and the AIFF sealed a partnership during the Inter-governmental Consultations between the two states in New-Delhi, and then in September 2022 when the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Super League (ISL).