Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) is a talent development program that aims to discover, nurture and support young footballers across India. The program, which was launched in 2015, has been successful in identifying and training promising young players who have gone on to play at the highest level of Indian football. However, the process of scouting and identifying these young players has been a challenging task, as it involves a lot of time and effort to cover the vast geographical expanse of India.

In the midst of the lockdown, RFYC’s traditional on-ground scouting was hindered. The academy was in search of a solution where interested players could try out for the academy while staying safe at home. So, Reliance Foundation partnered with AiSCOUT, an AI based platform that helps in the scouting process. This technology uses machine learning algorithms to analyze data from video footage to identify potential football players. The system can quickly process large amounts of data and identify players who have the potential to excel in the sport. Working in conjunction with the on-ground scouting efforts of the academy, the platform adds an extra layer of data and objectivity to the process.

AiSCOUT is a game-changer for RFYC. It has significantly reduced the time and effort required to identify potential players. Scouting has traditionally been a labor-intensive process that involved traveling to different parts of the country, watching games, and manually evaluating players. However, with AiSCOUT, the scouting process has become much more efficient, as it can analyze data from multiple sources and introduce a level of objectivity in the decision making.

The technology also enables RFYC to reach out to more players, as it can analyze data from remote and under-served regions of the country. This is particularly important for RFYC, as it aims to identify and nurture young players from all parts of India, regardless of their socio-economic background. With AiSCOUT, RFYC can now easily identify players from remote areas who may have otherwise gone unnoticed due to a lack of resources or infrastructure.

The partnership has already borne fruits for RFYC. 4 players in the academy’s current U-14 squad are first came on their radar through the app.

AiSCOUT has helped the Academy find talents from all parts of the country

Uthkarsh Bora, one of the players at the Academy, was part of the first ever intake of players to include children scouted directly through the app.

“We first heard about the trials on Facebook. We thought that this was a fantastic opportunity for Uthkarsh, as we have only heard great things about Reliance. We followed the instructions given in the social media posts and completed all the drills mentioned.” said Mr. Bhaskar Bora, Uthkarsh’s father.

Given the immense interest from across the country, the process of evaluating all players and the restrictions in place due to the pandemic, the process took a few months.

Mrs. Abha Bora, the player’s mother added, “Steve Coach (Stephen Charles, Head of Scouting) called us in October and invited our son for regional trials in Shillong, and from there he made it to the final selection camp in Mumbai!

“We are grateful for a platform like AiSCOUT that can help scouts find talented players in regions where they cannot physically be present.” Stephen Charles, RFYC’s Head of Scouting is clearly a fan.

He continues, “Giving interested players the chance to trial for our Academy from the safety and comfort of home is something that I feel is invaluable for both, the player and thee Academy.”

AiSCOUT also helps in the selection of players for the next level of training. The technology can analyze data on a player’s physical and technical abilities, as well as their mental and tactical skills. This helps the coaches and scouts to identify players who have the potential to excel in the sport and are ready to begin training to become professional football players. It also helps in identifying the areas where a player needs to improve and providing them with the necessary support and guidance.

The use of AiSCOUT is a testament to the Reliance Foundation's commitment to using technology to improve the lives of people in India. While it is not a tool to completely replace the traditional scouting process, it is a great value add, and can help Academies cast a wider net and find talents from all parts of the country. It is hoped to have a significant impact on the development of young footballers in the country.

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RFYC is currently scouting for talented football players! If you would like to have your child stand a chance to be scouted by India’s top football academy and receive top level education on the pitch an off it, this is your chance!

RFYC is inviting applications for it’s U-14 batch for the season 2023/24. Players born between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011 are eligible to be scouted.

Download the AiSCOUT app now!

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