Chennaiyin FC to hold inter-school tourney

: Two-time Indian Super League champions Chennaiyin FC will be organising an inter-school football tournament tentatively from January 28 with an aim to develop grassroots football in the state.

The four-week long tournament will feature 64 school teams across two age groups (U-13 & U-15), a press release here said.

In line with CFCs philosophy of developing youth football, the top three teams from both age groups will receive access to coaching from the Chennaiyin FC coaching staff and select first team players.

CFC Assistant Coach and Technical Director for Youth Development Syed Sabir Pasha inaugurated the tournament in the presence of the team's ace midfielder Dhanpal Ganesh and others.

The objective is to have budding talent from this tournament absorbed into the youth teams pyramid underneath the CFC first team that comprises the U-13s, U-15s, U-18s and B team," Pasha said.

Dhanpal Ganesh, who has missed a major part of the ongoing ISL season owing to injury said he was disappointed to miss out on representing the country at the Asia Cup in the UAE.

"My dream was to play at the Asian Cup.

I was part of the team during the qualifying rounds and we managed to eke out good results.

Unfortunately, I couldnt make the trip to the UAE and its sad," he added.

Ganesh said he was getting better now and had started running and hoped to return to action in another two months.

"No player knows when you will be sidelined with an injury. I am struggling a bit now, but I am getting better. I have started running and I am personally aiming to get back into action in another two months," he added.