UDAIPUR: Expanding its horizon to usher into a new era of fostering equality, empowerment and driving a football revolution in India, Hindustan Zinc Limited (NSE: HINDZINC), India’s only and the world’s largest integrated zinc producer, today, announced their plans to embark on a massive grassroots programme for girls with Zinc Football as part of their social investment programmes and initiatives.
The All India Football Federation will lend technical and strategic support to Zinc Football Girls Academy in Zawar, near Udaipur, in Rajasthan, to develop women’s football.
Zinc Football is a one-of-its-kind grassroots football development initiative, at the core of which is a full-fledged residential girls' football academy in Zawar, Udaipur, with world-class facilities and the country’s first ever ‘technology-hinged football training’ – the unique F-Cube technology.
The initiative aims to contribute to the development of Indian football while leveraging on the power of the world’s most loved sport to impact lives and ensure social upliftment of women, children, and people.
Zinc Football Academy also announced that it has entered into a collaboration with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), wherein the AIFF will be the strategic and technical partner for the girls' residential academy. Under the alliance, AIFF shall provide operational guidelines and technical support, share best practices, assist in capacity building for coaches and scouts, and engage in knowledge sharing.
Speaking on the initiative, Ms. Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc Ltd. said, "Hindustan Zinc’s commitment to empowering women and driving inclusive growth is reflected in every step we take — including the launch of our premier residential football academy for girls. We believe that building world-class athletes begins at the grassroots, with access to opportunity, mentorship, and the right environment. This academy is not just about developing football talent — it is also about shaping confident, resilient young leaders of tomorrow."
The academy, which features a fully equipped residential hostel, has identified its first batch of 20 extremely talented young girls, all under the age of 15. The programme will provide these children with all the opportunities and right guidance to groom them into professional footballers while also taking care of their formal education.
Shri Kalyan Chaubey, President, All India Football Federation, said, “We are delighted to partner with Hindustan Zinc to launch the Zinc Football Girls Academy. I believe it will help in not only developing girls' football in Rajasthan, but also at the national level as well. The timing of this partnership is very significant, especially when AIFF has seen 232% growth in women player registration in the CRS portal and the Senior Women's National Team has qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 to be played in Australia. AIFF will be happy to extend technical assistance for the success of this academy.”
The initial batch of 20 girls will see representation from different states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal, Haryana, and Jharkhand. The academy also plans to increase the number to 60 girls over the next 12-18 months from the current 20.
In F-Cube Training and Assessment Technology, key developmental parameters for this football academy are continuously evaluated, monitored, and analysed through a well-regulated player data tracking system, with support from qualified staff to ensure appropriate steps are taken for optimal player development.
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