British envoy unveils jersey for India-Spain grassroots football programme

British Deputy High Commissioner Gareth Wynn Owen unveiled the jersey for the India-Spain International Grassroots Football Development Programme in Hyderabad. The initiative will focus on Under-14 players, providing professional coaching, talent identification and opportunities for advanced football training and exposure in Spain

Hyderabad: Mr Gareth Wynn Owen, British Deputy High Commissioner for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, unveiled the official jersey of the upcoming India–Spain International Grassroots Football Development Programme here on Tuesday.

Messrs Mohammad Shamsuddin, CEO, Sports Village, and Mohammad Numan Shamsuddin, Director, Sports Village and Silver Stone Sports Academy, were present on the occasion.

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“The international initiative aims to strengthen grassroots football development in India, with a special focus on Under-14 young athletes. The programme will provide young footballers with professional coaching and training based on internationally recognised Spanish football development methodology,” according to a media release.

As part of the initiative, Arturo Perez Garcia, a talented teenage footballer from Spain, will visit Hyderabad for two weeks from the third week of October 2026. During his visit, he will conduct football training sessions, coaching clinics, seminars and motivational programmes for young athletes.

The programme will also include talent identification and player assessment, giving promising young footballers an opportunity to be shortlisted for an advanced development pathway and potential future training and football exposure in Spain.

Training sessions will be conducted in collaboration with international schools, government schools and football clubs across Hyderabad, ensuring that young players from diverse backgrounds can benefit from international football development practices.

The programme will focus on technical skills, football intelligence, discipline, teamwork, player development, talent identification and motivational learning.

The initiative is being organised by Sports Village, Sports Village Europa and Silver Stone Sports Academy, with the objective of creating a structured pathway for talented young footballers and strengthening cooperation between Indian and Spanish football development systems.