Bengaluru FC conferred two-star Academy status by Asian Football Confederation

BENGALURU: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has conferred Bengaluru Football Clubs Youth Development Program with a two-star Academy status, in addition to its endorsement of the All India Football Federation with full membership of its AFC Elite Youth Scheme.

Bengaluru are the only professional football club to gain the recognition, with the Reliance Foundation Young Champs Academy being the other, a statement on BFC's official website said.

"We are delighted to confer to the AIFF the AFC Elite Youth Scheme full membership status and the Reliance Foundation Young Champs Academy and JSW Bengaluru FC Academy the two-star Academy status," stated Dato Windsor John, General Secretary of the AFC.

The status, which is subject to re-evaluation after three years as per Article 6 of the AFC Elite Youth Scheme regulations and guidelines, has been granted to both entities for their 'truly remarkable' academies, according to Kushal Das, general secretary of the All India Football Federation.

"I would like to congratulate Reliance Foundation Young Champs Academy and JSW Bengaluru FC Academy for receiving the two-star status. Their academies are truly remarkable and have been promising ones to deliver future stars of the sport," said Das.

The Bengaluru FC Grassroots Development Program, set across Bengaluru and Bellary, has been in operation since the establishment of its BFC Soccer Schools Program in 2014. Over the years, BFC Soccer Schools has added as many as 20 centres across three states, expanding to Maharashtra and Gujarat, in addition to Karnataka. IANS 

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