Sesa Football Academy ("SFA")
Football has been chosen by SCDF for spotting young talent and giving them appropriate scientific and specific training through the residential academy and producing skilled players possessing physical and mental strength, as also disciplined citizens, while simultaneously pursuing their studies.
SFA has two academies junior level which began functioning from June 1999 at Sanquelim, Goa, and senior level which started from June 2008 at Sirsaim, Goa. It was started with the sole objective of service to the community in Sesa Goa's operational areas.
For more information on Sesa Football Academy, please visit our micro-site of the academy at www.sesafootball.com
SFA - Junior Academy
Sesa started its junior residential football academy in 1999 in its reclaimed mine site at Sanquelim with a beautiful football ground, well established gymnasium, a complete hostel facility along with a recreation centre with 24 boys from Goa, presently housing 36 boys. SFA is the only residential academy of Goa which trains the boys for 4 years besides allowing the boys to pursue their regular academic studies. All the expenses of boys during their stay at SFA including the trainee's academic studies are taken care by SFA.
In fact the academic study's is a must for all the boys. In the words of Sesa Academy official, "our aim is to produce disciplined citizens while nurturing the inherent soccer talent of Goan boys which more often than not dies its natural death within the periphery of village football. While we'll be ecstatic if some Messi or Baichung comes out of our academy, but would still be happy if they can make a football career or any other career based on the discipline and academic qualification acquired through our efforts."
No wonder, Sesa lads form today the supply chain for Goan football and the likes of Micky, Rowilson, Godwin, Bernad, Milagrio, Lavino, Gabriel and so many others are the SFA products and the proud possession of so many clubs!.
SFA - Senior Academy
Sesa decided to start the Senior Academy 2008. True to its style, Sesa decided to create football infrastructure for the senior team immediately. The primary thought was that these boys in the senior team, who are mostly from the junior academy, still need to be housed, along with their coaches, under one roof with full scale facilities, such as, nutritious food in the canteen, gymnasium, recreational facilities, indoor game facilities, etc. This ensures further continued nurturing of the young talent along with rigorous football training within a disciplined regime.
SFA is considered one of the top soccer academies in the country, the new infrastructure at Sirsaim was Inaugurated on 14 February 2010 at the hands of Mr. Anil Agarwal, Chairman Vedanta Resources plc, Mr. Digambar Kamat, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Goa, Mr. Pratap Singh Raoji Rane, Hon'ble Legislative Speaker of Goa and Mr. PK Mukherjee, Managing Director of Sesa Goa Limited. The new infrastructure at Sirsaim which has costed more than Rs. 4 crore, it has a football turf maintained round the year by a professional agency, hostel facility that can accommodate 30 boys, an in-house gymnasium, indoor sports hall, audio visual room and Sauna Bath facilities.
SFA has already started planning for the future and has plans to add a spectator stand, a swimming pool and a half pitch artificial turf. A tie-up with a top professional club in Europe is also in the pipeline.
For the last two years, Sesa's Senior Academy has been an active participant in the Goa Professional League, besides participating in the 2nd division of the I-League, Governor's Cup and various other tournaments.
Sesa also decided not to import or hire foreigners since it remains focussed on its sole objective to increase the standards of Goan and Indian football. No wonder that within 2 years of the senior academy coming into being; at least half a dozen of the boys from senior academy are being chased by big clubs with lucrative offers. It is interesting to note that, while none of the top notch clubs in Goa have a single football ground of their own, Sesa has two beautiful turfs in Goa created in their own land.
The senior academy is created on a piece of land at Sirsaim where once upon a time a mining workshop was situated. Sesa, for its passion for football, which is the manifestation of its commitment to the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility.
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