In a first in the country historic feat for Indian women’s football, the first FIFA Talent Academy for girls was inaugurated on August 2, 2025, at the Gachibowli Stadium Complex in Hyderabad. The path breaking project is an all partnership initiative of FIFA, the All India Football Federation (AIFF), and the Telangana government, which was announced during the opening of the first ever Telangana Sports Conclave. The project is to revolutionize grassroot development and facilitate enhanced women’s participation in football throughout the country.
AIFF 🤝 Government of Telangana
The launch of the second FIFA Talent Academy in India, and the first for girls 👧🏻🇮🇳🙌#IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/bfJ2U7er98
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) August 2, 2025
More details about the academy
The academy, in accordance with the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS), will comprise 60 young talented players 30 girls (U16) and 30 boys (U14) and 10 girls and 10 boys from Telangana and will receive residential training on a year round basis, education, sports science services, nutritional advice, mental health services, and academic education. The whole belfelf system ensures young talents to be prepared as potential national team players.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey described the inauguration as a “defining moment” for making football development inclusive and said that the academy is India’s aspiration to qualify for the U17 men’s and women’s World Cups. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy described the academy as a “game changer” for women sports persons in the state and assured wholehearted cooperation to make Hyderabad a sports hub under the newly launched sports policy.
AIFF’s Vision 2047
Operationally, AIFF will create and monitor the technical schemes, scouting procedures, and yearly training syllabus, while Sports Authority of Telangana would look after infrastructure, logistics, welfare, and academic coordination. This project supports several strategic goals: FIFA’s international commitment to access to talent, AIFF’s Vision 2047 to be a football powerhouse, and Telangana’s Sports Policy 2025 encompassing plans for a sports university and 50 centres of excellence in residential schools.
The opening of the academy is poised to awaken a generation of women in India, providing a rigorous, high end platform where girls can train, learn, and thrive under the guidance of specialists. By shattering obstacles and creating a distinct road map to the global arena, Hyderabad’s new complex will be a guiding light for India’s footballing future particularly for girls who have been long neglected in the sport sector.
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