South United Football Club director Sharan Parikh discloses objective behind opening new academy in Pune

SUFC have opened three new football academies in Pune.

Bengaluru based South United Football Club has opened 3 football academies in Pune today aiming to nurture the full potential of the city.

The club has inaugurated academies in Bavdhan, Kharadi and Undri near Pune. The club aims to enroll students right from age 3 across various age groups. SUFC are currently registered under Karnataka State Football Association and play the Bangalore Football League.

Sharan Parikh the Director of the academy in his opening remarks stated. “I would like to acknowledge our  association with Pune District Football Association and look forward to contributing to its ongoing efforts.”

Furthermore he went and shared, “We are delighted to expand our base beyond Bangalore and build a stronger foundation here in Pune. South United is part of the larger vision. That goes beyond itself. It has 3 pillars which includes culture, infrastructure and a self sustainable  ecosystem. The ecosystem comprises of the football club with a senior team with the academy sports events which we conduct, sporting infrastructures what we have and sports education courses that we conduct. Last but not the least, one of the important aspect(s) is our sport foundation.”

Speaking on training centers sporting director Terry Phelan commented and drew comparison between Bengaluru and Pune.”Bengaluru and Pune are similar in many ways. Bengaluru has now developed a structured footballing ecosystem focusing on grassroots development. Not every grassroots player makes it to the top level but every top-level player starts at the grassroots level. We have been flourishing in that environment and look forward to contributing to the growth of football in Pune. We believe Pune has a rich talent pool, passion for the game, and the required infrastructure for the sport to grow.”

On Football clubs in Pune

The club director highlighted football clubs from Pune from yesteryears and shared how the clubs has garnered support from the locals. “Historically, the city has been home to some iconic football clubs making a truly sporting city nurturing the sport further. It has been encouraging to see clubs like Bharat FC, DSK Shivajians and FC Pune City and others have been truly loved and supported by local people.

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