PLAYING IN THE AIFF YOUTH LEAGUE – REACHING THE NATIONAL ROUND IN 2017

In 2010, the IYSA’s Josh Academy started by recruiting boys from nearby communities who lived in the local low-income areas near the field. Not a single boy had a pair of football boots so we had to train them bare feet. Slowly we gave boots and kit from the donation we had received.

In the 2015-16 season IYSA’s made its first step into the National arena playing in the 1st AIFF Under 15 Youth League; played under the I-League banner. Many of the boys who started bare feet were the mainstays of the IYSA U15 team.

The matches were in Chandigarh. IYSA beat Lonestar Kashmir, Youngsters FC (Chandigarh), came from two goals down to draw against BBFS, but lost to Minerva, Conscient and Sudeva; finishing 5th in the Rest of India Zone (North). It showed that our team with players from the local community could compete against teams who brought players from around the country.

2016-17, the second year of the AIFF Youth League was an Under 16 age group league and the number of Delhi teams grew from 4 to 8 so the league matches were played in Delhi. The IYSA Under 16’s topped its group against the likes of Delhi United, Conscient FC and Delhi Dynamos and qualified for the National Round, in the top 16 Academies of India.

The team traveled to Goa for but lost narrowly to Pride Sports and Mohun Bagan. Nevertheless, getting into the National Round for an Academy with boys from the community was an achievement in only its second attempt.

IYSA Under 18 team participated in the AIFF Under 18 Youth League 2017-18. Some of the players graduated from the Under 16 team of the previous season that reached the AIFF National Round. Many players left this year to join other Academies. The U18 team finished 4th in the Delhi Zone behind Sudeva, BBFS; both of whom had Residential Academies; and Delhi Dynamos but finished ahead of Delhi United and Hindustan FC. The matches lasted from November 2017 to end January 2018.