Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday inaugurated the AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy in Bhubaneswar in the presence of Arsene Wenger, chief of global football development at FIFA.
A total of 50 talented football players, including 15 from Odisha, in the Under-14 category will be selected for the academy from across the country. The academy will be headed by a FIFA-appointed coach along with various coaches and staff from AIFF and the Odisha government.
The talent academy is a major initiative to boost football development in India. AIFF and FIFA are partnering with the Odisha government in establishing this academy, said an official source.
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“Football is a popular game in India, especially among the younger generation. There is lot of talent in football in India, and with proper coaching facilities, our team can perform very well in future. I am happy that we are able to partner with FIFA and AIFF to create such academies. Odisha will support football projects and work in close collaboration with AIFF for football promotion in India,” said Patnaik.
The inaugural event was held in a packed Kalinga Stadium in the city during the India vs Qatar encounter in Round 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 joint qualification campaign.
Wenger, during his visit to the Stadium, also took stock of the state-of-the-art sports science centre coming up at the Kalinga Sports Complex in Bhubaneswar. VK Pandian, chairman of 5T (transformational initiatives) and Nabin Odisha also interacted with Wenger about steps taken by the Odisha government for development of sports infrastructure across disciplines.