Reliance Foundation's ambitious plan to reignite campus sport got a thumbs up with as many as 17 centres covering 30 cities across the length and breadth of the country all set to become partners.
The Reliance Foundation Youth Sports' (RFYS) is expected to see over 3,500 schools and colleges and more than 60,000 student athletes participate in the national championships this year.
The inaugural RFYS football competition in four different categories last year elicited participation from schools and colleges in the eight cities of Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Pune, Chennai, Kochi, Mumbai and Goa where it was held.
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This year, Bengaluru, Jamshedpur, Hyderabad, Kozhikode, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Shillong, Aizawl and Imphal have been added to make it a truly pan India event.
The RYFS national football championship has already emerged as the perfect platform to scout young and promising talent in the country.
Eight RFYS players were picked by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for its India U-23 selection trials for the AFC Qualifiers.
Ajith Sivan, a 21-year-old student from Nirmala College, Kochi, made headlines just this Sunday, when ISL club Kerala Blasters zeroed in on him as developmental player during the ISL Indian Player Draft for the upcoming season.
RFYS 2017-18 will kick-off in mid-August while the grand finale is expected to be held in January 2018.
RFYS has also added Athletics as its second sport for this year. To be held in Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Kochi, the RFYS Athletics will see competitions in 11 disciplines of Track & Field, with the city winners qualifying for the Nationals.
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