What's new

Blackburn Rovers to play exhibition match against Pune FC

kingkobra

SENIOR MEMBER
Joined
Jun 15, 2010
Messages
2,780
Reaction score
0
Country
India
Location
India
Blackburn Rovers to play in India


Blackburn Rovers, who were bought by Venky's last November, will be the first English Premier League team to play in India. The Blackburn players are visiting on July 23 to participate in the finals of a four-city mini tournament for under-16 boys to be held in Pune. The tournament will be held in the four cities - Goa, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune.

Blackburn Rovers will play alongside the Indian boys dividing themselves among the final eight teams from the four cities. Announcing the tournament details, B. Balaji Rao, Whole Time Director, Venkateshwara Hatcheries Group (Venky's), said: "The Company is committed to elevating footballing standards in India. This event is an attempt to develop football at the grassroot levels and create opportunities for young Indian footballers."

"We firmly believe that given the right training and opportunity, it is a matter of time before the next Rover's star will come from India. Exposing youngsters to the first team of Blackburn Rovers Football Club is merely a first step in this direction. The company has larger plans which it will disclose very shortly,"

"Youth following works both ways. One way of developing footballing standards is by gathering mass following for Blackburn Rovers in India. Following leads to aspirations and elevation of standards, and we want to make Rovers popular in India. It is our appeal to the Indian youth to come forward and reach out to Blackburn Rovers team and aspire to play alongside them very soon," Rao said.

The tournament is open to registered institutions, schools, academies and clubs with under-16 teams. Qualifying matches will happen in each of the four cities, and the winners of the qualifiers will travel to Pune for the final matches on July 23. The qualifying matches will be held in Goa on 8-9 July, Mumbai on 11-12 July, Kolkata on 16-17 July and Pune on 21-22 July.

Added to this, during the regional rounds, the football scouts from Venky's will choose 15 boys during who will be put through a short training session. Ten boys out of these will be selected to form a second team from the city. Thereby, a total of two teams from each city will go to the final matches in Pune on 23rd July.

The finals in Pune will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for the budding youngsters to play play alongside Blckburn Rovers football stars like Chris Samba, Paul Robinson, David Dunn, Brett Emerton, David Hoilett, Jason Roberts, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Michel Salgado, Martin Olsson, Steven Nzonzi and Ryan Nelsen.

There's more to the bonus for these lucky youngsters as the finals will also be attended by Blackburn Rovers scouts who will choose two boys for a 2-week training at the Blackburn Rovers Academy in Brockhall in United Kingdom.

Blackburn Rovers, formed in 1875, have been champions of England three times, the last occasion in 1995.

Blackburn Rovers to play in India
 
.
That's awesome!!! Imagine the boost it'll give these kids to play in the same team as some world class professional footballers. Finally a boost to a sport thats not cricket!!!
 
.
Rovers have been bought by an Indian group called Venky's.

Hope Indians would see El Hadji Diouf.



---------- Post added at 11:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:29 AM ----------

Rovers have been bought by an Indian group called Venky's.

Hope Indians would see El Hadji Diouf.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
. . . .
Blackburn Rovers will thrash Pune FC :D-

Can't deny that :D. A lot of I-League teams trash Pune FC regularly as it is.

---------- Post added at 11:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:08 AM ----------

yes they will but who cares as long as it is the first epl team playing in india :)

I'm more excited about Argentina playing in Kolkata. :woot:
 
.
why they chose pune FC, a relatively weak team in the league .. Should have been salgoakar.
 
.
Can't deny that :D. A lot of I-League teams trash Pune FC regularly as it is.

---------- Post added at 11:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:08 AM ----------



I'm more excited about Argentina playing in Kolkata. :woot:

yeah dude..messi gonna be in india for first time :)
 
. . .
why they chose pune FC, a relatively weak team in the league .. Should have been salgoakar.

venky's is pune based company...
also pune FC stadium is of international standards..

BALEWADI-MAIN-STADIUM-51.jpg


more pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9982286@N03/5099504689/in/photostream/
 
.
venky's is pune based company...
also pune FC stadium is of international standards..

BALEWADI-MAIN-STADIUM-51.jpg


Yup but still a stronger team would have been more beneficial... Rovers will make sausages and nuggets out of Pune FC

Venkys-Chicken.jpg
 
.
Yup but still a stronger team would have been more beneficial... Rovers will make sausages and nuggets out of Pune FC

Venkys-Chicken.jpg

:).. true, would've loved to see them against East Bengal,Mohun Bagan or even Sikkim United (Incredible team and on the rise). But the main intention is to groom the Under-16's as potential talents for both Blackburn and Pune. These players will actually be assimilated into teams with the local players. I suspect there will soon be an international scouting camp setup here.
 
. .
Back
Top Bottom