Kochi: Kerala’s football ambitions are all set to cover yet another yard with the boys of the Kochi-based Muthoot Football Academy (MFA) gearing up for the Premier League Next Generation Cup which will be held in the UK from August 1 to 4.

MFA is among the three Indian teams selected for the fifth edition of the tournament; the other two being East Bengal FC and Winners Punjab FC.

The competition offers India’s young talents the chance to compete with equivalent age-group teams from Premier League Academies and the South African Premier Soccer League.

Eight Academy teams, including Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur and Stellenbosch FC, will be vying for the cup. 

Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil unveiled the jersey of MFA at an event in Kochi on Friday. Congratulating the team members on their selection for the global event, Fahadh said his achievements in film were nothing compared to what they have accomplished. The team members are below 21. 

The three teams representing India for the upcoming edition were selected through the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL), which featured 57 teams playing 299 matches.

An initiative of the Muthoot Pappachan Group (Muthoot Blue), MFA was established in 2017 and is accredited by the All India Football Federation. At the academy, students are given full scholarships covering their training, accommodation, schooling, food, travel, medical, and insurance needs. 

Mohammed Anazil, head coach of the academy, said the UK tour will be a great opportunity for the team to give an impetus to their football career and raise the players’ standards to the next level. 

Thomas Muthoot, director, Muthoot Pappachan Group, said his company’s sports academies are established with a vision to create platforms for nurturing and developing young talents across various sports disciplines. The objective behind these initiatives is to promote sporting talent from grassroots with a focus on the underserved areas.

Navas Meeran, president of Kerala Football Association, and Hannah Muthoot, director of sports, Muthoot Pappachan Group, also spoke.