Zinc Football initiative announced in India, introduces technology-based grassroots development

The project includes a full-fledged residential academy at Zawar, Udaipur with world-class facilities.

With the belief that timely intervention of technology and data-driven analysis can help grassroots football in the country and subsequently take Indian football to the next level, Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company, today announced their plans of embarking on a massive grassroots programme with Zinc Football as part of their social investment programmes and initiatives. 

Zinc Football is a one-of-its-kind grassroots football development initiative, at the core of which is a full-fledged residential academy at Zawar, Udaipur with world-class facilities and the country’s first ever ‘technology-hinged football training’ – the unique F-Cube technology. In addition, Zinc Football will also have a massive outreach programme to impart football coaching to over 2000 passionate boys and girls by fully skilled football trainers through 64 community football centres - Zinc Football Schools, across Rajasthan. The initiative aims to contribute to the development of Indian football while leveraging on the power of worldʼs most loved sport to impact lives and ensure social upliftment of women, children and people.

Watch: Official announcement of Zinc Football

The academy, which features a fully-equipped residential hostel, has identified its first batch of 30 extremely talented young boys, under the age group of 14 years, handpicked among 4500+ aspirants through various scouting camps held over the past year. The company will be providing these children with all the opportunities and right guidance to groom them into professional footballers while taking care of their formal education also.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Sunil Duggal, CEO, Hindustan Zinc Ltd. said, “Our dream of impacting lives, particularly those of young children, by leveraging the power of world’s most loved sport – Football, has finally taken shape in the form of ‘Zinc Football’. With the launch of this initiative, we commit to identify and cultivate latent talent from grass root level; which shall not only support and establish Rajasthan once again on the Indian football map, but also elevate the country’s achievements to greater heights in the global football scenario”.

Watch: What the project is about

Mr. Annanya Agarwal, President, Vedanta Football said, “As a group, Vedanta is committed to help grassroots football in the country and has taken numerous initiatives to build infrastructure and capacities to help the sport grow. Our aim is to put India firmly on the world footballing map and see India among the top-10 teams in Asia and top-50 in the world within the next five years.”

The residential academy provides world-class facilities and infrastructure

“As a passionate football follower, I am really excited to see the vision of Zinc Football taking off in such an impactful way. The world-class residential academy set up in Zawar along with the 64 Zinc Football Schools spread around Rajasthan promises to enrich the stature of overall Indian football and also have a positive impact on thousands of lives in the areas that we operate in”, he added.

Zinc Football also launched its official logo today, which embodies the initiative by incorporating themes of Rajasthan and football wherein the colours blue and yellow along with football elements complete the picture of what Zinc Football intends to achieve.

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With the introduction of F-Cube Training and Assessment Technology, the key developmental parameters of the Zinc Football Academy and Zinc Football Schools, players will be continuously evaluated, monitored and analysed through well-regulated player data tracking and help our qualified staff to take appropriate steps for the right development of these children. F-Cube is the world’s first intelligent and interactive device for football and fitness training, skill assessment, cognitive development, practice and also factor in important parameters like skills, nutrition, physical, psychological and mental development. 

The Zinc Football Academy will be equipped with 3 FIFA Quality Turf and also a 7v7 size Natural Grass Ground for training and practice equipped with Team Dugouts. Additionally, there is one multi-sport ground for recreational sports like Basketball, Volleyball, Badminton, and Cricket. The initiative has laid extensive emphasis on the quality of coaching and has on-board highly qualified and licensed coaches, to take of every aspect of the game when it comes to football training for the kids.

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Hindustan Zinc has partnered with The Football Link, one of India’s premier football development organizations with professional expertise in organizing large-scale football initiatives for developing grassroots football in the country.

Hindustan Zinc, has been associated with sports and has been promoting sportsmen for almost 4 decades when the company made its football stadium at Zawar in Rajasthan in 1976. Since last 40 years, National Football Tournaments are being organized every year at Zawar Stadium. The company has also supported several athletes in the past who have brought numerous laurels for the country in international events.