Dream Sports Foundation Partners with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools to Support India’s Budding Football Stars

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New Delhi, September 27, 2022: Dream Sports Foundation (DSF), the philanthropic arm of Dream Sports, one of India’s leading sports technology companies, today announced the extension of its ‘Dare to Dream’ program in collaboration with the Indian football legend Bhaichung Bhutia.

The three-year program, will play a critical role in identifying, training and supporting 35 young talented football players to support the growth for football in India. To further strengthen this partnership, Bhaichung Bhutia will also join DSF as an Advisor to work toward their common goal of creating a meaningful impact in India’s sporting ecosystem.

Launched in association with the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools Residential Academy in Meghalaya, ‘Dare to Dream’ aims to ensure that promising young football talent in India is provided with high-quality training and adequate infrastructure to aid their journey in the sport and realize their true potential.

DSF is conducting trials along with the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and Indian Football Foundation where, close to 650 number of athletes across the North-East are expected to participate. The trials will continue across Siliguri, Shillong, Imphal, Bishnupur and Guwahati till September 30th. The final cohort of footballers will be announced on October 1st.

Speaking about ‘Dare to Dream’, former Indian football captain and advisor to DSF, Bhaichung Bhutia said, “Dream Sports Foundation continues to be an integral partner in our mission to provide equal opportunity to leverage the potential of our budding footballers. The expansion of the ‘Dare to Dream’ program and the increase in the number of participants is a testament to the country’s growing intrigue and potential in becoming a football nation.”

Talking about the extended partnership, Bhavit Sheth, Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder, Dream Sports, said, “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools, who share our vision to Make Sports Better. The programme supports budding athletes to date and we look forward to helping many more achieve their dream of representing India in International football.”

As part of the program, Dream Sports Foundation will also be working towards holistic development of the athletes and provide quality lodging, nutrition, education, coaching, training, equipment, apart from opportunities to participate in National and International tournaments. The select 35 athletes who will be joining ‘Dare to Dream’ this year, will receive their academic education at the Army Rifles Public School while they complete their football training program.

About Dream Sports Foundation: Dream Sports Foundation (DSF) is the philanthropic arm of Dream Sports, India’s leading sports technology company with brands such as Dream11, FanCode, Dream Capital and DreamSetGo in its portfolio. DSF aims to positively impact the growth of sports in India and provide sustainable growth impetus to deserving individuals, societies, bodies or organisations working towards the development of sports and the sports ecosystem of India.

Some of the key sports development initiatives under DSF include ‘Stars of Tomorrow’, an elite athlete development program with GoSports Foundation across non-mainstream sports and ‘Back On Track’, a program that aids vulnerable athletes, sports professionals and academies. To provide comprehensive support to young and budding athletes, DSF has launched the ‘One Dream One Lakshya’ Program with Lakshya Foundation, for Olympic priority sports, and also partnered with Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation and Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools. For more information, visit www.dsf.org.in

About Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools: Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (BBFS) is an initiative taken by India’s longest-serving football captain – Bhaichung Bhutia, and two IIT graduates Anurag Khilnani and Kishore Taid. The founding team of Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools came together with the vision of creating an ecosystem that nurtures and develops the will to Play, Learn and Master football according to the reports published in news18.com.

With training centres across the country, BBFS has trained over 13,000+ students and developed over 2000+ coaches. BBFS builds expertise in each stage of the player development pyramid and works to activate the overall football ecosystem in India. In the past year, BBFS launched enJogo, India’s first football training app. For more information, visit www.bbfootballschools.com

About Indian Football Foundation: Indian Football Foundation is a ‘Child Education & Welfare’ oriented initiative to identify & nurture India’s most talented young footballers and coaches by providing a platform for their development into professional football. This is done through a strategic partnership with India’s largest grassroots and youth training program – Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools wherein the sport is positioned as a tool to improve the quality of life of young men & women across the country. For more information, visit www.indianfootballfoundation.org.