PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Oct 11: The convocation ceremony for the 15th batch of Tata Football Academy (TFA) was held at Kudy Mahanty Auditorium in Jamshedpur last evening. The graduating batch consisted of 23 cadets from 11 states across the country.
Chief guest Chanakya Chaudhary, vice president of Corporate Services, Tata Steel cum chairman, Board of Management TFA, said, “I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to every member of the 2022 graduation batch, on reaching this all-important milestone. This indeed is an affirmation of their resilience and this convocation is testimony to their grit, dedication and commitment to the discipline of the sport. Sports has always been integral to Tata Steel’s philosophy of nation-building”.
Notably, a total of 252 cadets have graduated till date from the TFA out of which 148 cadets have represented the country so far. Moreover, 24 cadets have captained the Indian football team in various age group competitions.
In the current Indian Super League (ISL) season, 21 former cadets of TFA are playing for different clubs. Former cadets, Deepak Mandal and Subrata Paul have been conferred with Arjuna Award.
TFA gets 4-star accreditation from AIFF
Adding another feather to its cap, TFA upgraded to a four-star accreditation rating by The All India Football Federation (AIFF).
The prestigious club has already been awarded for ‘Continuous Contributions to Indian Football”. Such recognition has been conferred for the first time to any institution by AIFF. TFA has also been awarded “The Hall of Fame – Youth Development Award’ for its contribution to Indian football by Global Soccer Conclave in its virtual event.
A new chapter began in the history of Indian football when the Tata Football Academy (TFA) was established on January 17, 1987, by Russi Mody, the then chairman and managing director of Tata Steel.
The objective of the academy is to select, nurture and prepare budding footballers from across the country in the most scientific manner.
