AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: In a path breaking development for Indian Football, the All India Football Federation became the first Sports Federation in India to launch the Online Scouting Portal, to extend the horizons of scouting through technological advancements.

The Overseas Online Scouting Portal scouting.the-aiff.com has been engineered for talents living outside of the Nation but holding valid Indian passports. The Portal serves as a platform for Players to upload their videos displaying their talent in Football. If found wanting, the Players will be further called upon and observed by in-ground scouts of AIFF.

Abhishek Yadav, present Director, Scouting, AIFF and the brain behind the concept recollects his meeting with the Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mr. Vijay Goel saying that the honourable Minister was very much “appreciative by the Project.”

“The biggest compliment came when the Minister told me that the Sports Ministry would follow suit in launching such more scouting online portals for NRIs,” Abhishek tells www.the-aiff.com. “The appreciation from the Sports Minister himself has been the biggest motivation for us,” he adds.

“There are Indian citizens with valid Indian Passports all over the World. But it is physically impossible to reach out to them. In such a situation, the portal will help in bridging the distance and bringing the World closer to the cause – development of Indian Football,” he states.

“This is a message to Indians (with valid Indian Passports) living abroad that we care about them and that Country needs them. We intend to make everything transparent and no talent should ever go unnoticed.”

Presently no other Sports Federation in the Country has ventured into such an initiative. “I can says that the AIFF has set the tone for all other to follow,” Abhishek, a former Indian Captain smiles.

The Portal not only reaches out to myriads of Indian citizens abroad, but also aims to expand the base of the Player pyramid structure for the Indian U-17 World Cup Squad. The Project also gives a scope for Players living out of India who might have gone unnoticed in context to scouting in India.

Even Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who plays for Stabek FC in Norway hailed the Project saying: “It is a really good initiative by the AIFF and the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. I understand the intent is to find potential Players who can represent India in the FIFA U-17 World Cup.” 

“I hope it works and I wish all the luck for the people initiating it,” he told www.the-aiff.com from Norway.

Abhishek even informs that they have been “flooded by videos from NRIs from all over the World.”

“From Europe to USA to Ghana to Asia, many have approached us. I stay optimistic about unearthing a new talent,” he smiles.