TFA keen on opening a branch in Goa MAPUSA, January 22: After establishing its credentials as one of the pioneer football academies in the country, Tata Football Academy is now planning to spread its wings outside its permanent base in Jamshedpur. And Goa's 'serene atmosphere' seems to have attracted TFA officials. "Pressure of expectation is not much here. Goa offers us the best possible venue for a TFA branch," Ranjan Chowdhury, TFA's chief coach told TOI.
The academy is well known for locating talent from across the country, and then grooming them in their backyard at Jamshedpur. "Our academy should have branches elsewhere," Chowdhury opined. As part of its programme, the TFA coach dropped in at the Nike-MUPC event, held here recently, to scan the U-15 teams playing in the event. While TFA is still the best-known soccer academy in the country, the AIFF has only recently realised that TFA alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of churning out new players for Indian football. Hence, it has decided to launch a full-fledged academy at Gurgaon on its own. Chowdhury welcomes the development while adding, the "AIFF academy certainly would boost the development of football but TFA still stands as the pioneer." When asked if TFA's popularity is on the wane, Chowdhury said: "TFA is still the most important nursery of Indian football and will remain one. http://sports.indiatimes.com/TFA_keen_on_opening_a_branch_in_Goa/article show/2722429.cms ~(^^)~ Avelino
