The Tata Football Academy (TFA) held its 15th Convocation Ceremony at the Kudy Mohanty Auditorium in Kadma on Monday, marking the graduation of 28 cadets.
Mr. Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice-president corporate services, Tata Steel was the chief guest while former TFA Graduate and now AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey was the Guest of Honour of the convocation ceremony.
Kalyan Chuabey in his speech reminisced about his journey as a TFA cadet. “I was part of the TFA’s first convocation in 1995 and I am lucky to be present in the 15 th convocation now. Back then, TFA was the only professionally run academy, providing us with European tours where we learned modern football techniques. TFA continues to produce gold and its value never diminishes,” he said.
Chief Guest Chanakya Chaudhary distributed the certificates and mementos to the 28 graduates. Mr. Chaudhary in his speech reinforced Tata Steel’s commitment to sports, noting, “Sports is what binds us. At Tata Steel, we believe in our motto that ‘Sports is a way of life.’ We’re now looking into how we can bring women into sports and continue contributing to the growth of the sport.”
Mukul Choudhari, Chief of Sports, Tata Steel, emphasized TFA’s enduring impact on Indian football, stating, “With 275 cadets trained so far, 148 have gone on to represent India at various levels, with 24 captaining the national team. Additionally, 58% of our cadets have been drafted into the Indian Super League (ISL) since its inception. TFA continues to be one of the best in the country for developing local talent and fostering grassroots initiatives.”
The prestigious award for the Best Gentleman Cadet was presented to Bivan Jyoti Laskar. Jharkhand Football Association secretary Ghulam Rabbani was also present in the function. Tata Steel Adventure Foundation & Sports Academies Head Hemant Gupta delivered vote of thanks.
Graduating Cadets:
Goalkeepers: Karan Makkar, Mohammad Adnan, Luckystar Lawai, Raj Boro
Defenders: Pallujam Rohan Singh, Sairem Sital Singh, Samuel Muansang, Sanjiv Tudu, Ningthoujam Singh, Zonunpuia, Zlex Mangang, Meraimayum Raju, Sonam Tsewang, Aditya Mukhi, Albish Barla, Amzard Khan, Chungkham Singh
Midfielders: Moirangthem Singh, Remson Ningthoujam, Asem Singh, Laishram Meitei, Lalhatpuia Chawngthu, Rosangzuala, Bhaskar Chhetri, Kaif Ansari
Forwards: Alvies Bastin, Bivan Jyoti Laskar, Preet Sona
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