Media Center

OCT 03

BIG PLANS FOR DUFC

By sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com

Local football club Delhi United FC announced their strategic goals and visions for the future here on Monday. The team,.....

read more less
OCT 03

DUFC launch vision to be Asia’s Champion Club by 2030

By Insidesport.co

Delhi United Football Club management board has launched its strategic goals and vision to be the Champion Football Club of Asia by 2030. The document DUFC VISION : TO be the CHAMPION Club of Asia by 2030 was in the Capital on Monday.

Shaji Prabhakaran, former Fifa development officer for South and Central Asia and a football visionary, is the driving force behind the DUFC and the vision document.

The Vision and Strategic Goals have been finalized following an in-depth discussion within the board after analysing different aspects of football in India and considering Delhi as a future potential market for football in India, according to a DUFC Press release.

Though the league structure in India is still evolving irrespective of the current situation we as a club firmly believe that eventually, India will adopt a global structure by which every club in India can become a part of a league structure and dream to play in the Premier League of India.

The club has also adoption of Ghamroj Village in Haryana since July 2017 to engage the village community into football. The youth of the village are being trained by DUFC. Very soon the club will start the construction of a natural football pitch and changing room to improve the basic football facility in the village.

The has engaged Harjinder Singh, the ex-India captain and the former Coach of the Chandigarh Football Academy who produced 36 youngsters to play for India in last one decade. They include the captain Amarjit Singh and 3 other players of the current India U-17 team.

Dr. Gautam Pal has been engaged a the DUFC grassroots ambassador, considering his work in the social sector and the effort he is putting in to promote football in his own way.

Jeyadev Parthasarathy, the alumni of XLRI Jamshedpur and a successful business professional with over 20 years of varied experience as an entrepreneur, different startup ventures and active in executive search industry, has been appointed as an advisor to the DUFC Board. It is the second time he is associating with a professional club. In his earlier stint Jaydev has helped Shillong Lajong turned professional as the marketing and strategic advisor for the Club.

“I always wanted to be a part of the Delhi club and Delhi United is the best club to associate with since I believe in the philosophy and vision of the club management and I would put my business experience to support the club in achieving its goals,” Parthasarthy said.

The DUFC board chairman Krishn Anand shared how we wanted to create opportunities for youth to be part of football. “I decided to invest in a football club with an objective to create better opportunities for youth. I see that youth in India is increasingly becoming passionate about football and through Delhi United we can do our bit to develop football by focusing on youth. Though we are still not sure about the league structure, however, we are determined to work hard in the sector of youth development and connect with the community through our innovative strategies and plan. Football in India is at an interesting crossroads and we all stakeholders have to come together to meet the aspirations of our youngsters and work hard to present a better platform for football in India.”

Delhi United FC also availed the opportunity to extend best wishes to the India U17 National Team on their debut in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, starting from 6th October 2017.

read more less
Aug 31

A commercial approach to drive social responsibility

By Insidesport.co

There was a club culture, there was competition, there was a strong fan base, too. Maybe not something enviable to Kolkata’s passion for football, but Delhi too has had its glorious past worth being proud to have best football action in India.

As sun started rising on India’s professional football horizon, Delhi clubs saw a decrement over the years. A lot of clubs have revitalized and a lot have shut down. The late 1950s, and all through the 60s and 70s, Delhi saw a golden period of football. The Ambedkar stadium would be packed by passionate fans even for the local league games. Now, that is somewhere in the past. Games today are limited to the players on the field, their teammates in the dugouts, some of the officials and just a few spectators in the stands.

Amidst all this, there is a rising hope. With a clear vision, commitment and a well charted out plan there are short-term and long-term goals. A model that is viable enough to reach the gestation line and grow commercially thereafter. The visionary is one of the best administrative, analytic and professional brains in the country – Shaji Prabhakaran, the FIFA regional development officer.

The man is passionately committed to his profile, even at an individual level. Growth of football is a mission and self-commitment for Shaji, who with his two associates has taken up the task to reinvent the glory of Delhi football and put it on the Asian football landscape. He took over the club administration of the Delhi United Football Club earlier this year along with Krishn Anand Tripathi, a real-estate businessman and now Chairman for the Delhi United FC and Dr. Sandeep Kumar, who is a sports medicine professional and has a long association with various national sports federations and teams. Dr. Kumar is currently associated with the Indian team gearing up for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

Three collectively are not just running the Delhi United FC professionally, but there is a commercial vision to make the Delhi football scenario competitive and to make each success count. “We want it to be a big market where being the market leader becomes valuable for you,” says Shaji during a candid talk with insidesport.co.

Acquisition of Delhi United FC is a stepping stone towards giving India “a top football club in Asia by 2030”. The vision is to change the football landscape in the city and eventually in the whole of Northern India. The sheer will to reach the top tire of Indian football has been a primary reason in the birth and the steady building process of Delhi United Football Club.

The club established in 1995 with the name of ‘Gorkha Heroes’ was taken over by the United Soccer Pvt. Ltd. in 2012 and renamed as Delhi United FC, and after a successful journey through 5 years the revamp and revival is again on the outlook. “The aim is to develop football among youths and to develop a much needed football culture in the city,” says Shaji.

To begin with, Shaji wants to setup a “world-class Residential Academy” and then engage with as much as 25 thousand kids by 2020. “We have adopted a village and are trying to work on grassroots level at multiple locations. We are exploring talent and will train the players to ensure they have the caliber to become the best player in India. And accordingly, we have planned to provide scholarships to deserving players in our Residential Academy (at Greater Noida),” he states.

All this social responsibility is backed by a full-proof commercial plan to ensure sustainability and “adding value to the whole ecosystem”.

“We currently have 30 senior players and they are being paid by us. We also ensure proper lodging for them. Their training is done by the former Indian footballer and coach Harjinder Singh,” Shaji continues. “All this is done through our laid out revenue model. Currently, we are only able to cover 10% of the cost. But that doesn’t deter us from achieving our goals. That’s on the lines charted out in our road map. We are looking for more partners and are willing to collaborate with potential contributors towards the success of the club. But, before that we are creating an entity that offers something viable for its investments.”

The club is out to change the culture, to challenge the system and to break away from conventions. This will also challenge the powers that be and also face strong opposition. “We are not opposing anyone. We have a certain skill set and we want to share that for everyone’s benefit. We are ready to support and assist all who are working for the sport. We are reaching out to them (football administrators in Delhi). We are no competition to them. Rather we will only help them out,” says Shaji.

Consultant, Mentor, Author–Football, Sports Management (Grassroots), Development, Project Strategy & Planning are the inherent skills on Shaji’s professional CV and the visionary is ready to put all this in implementation. Not just for the growth of his own club, but to create a strong culture where competition will drive the skill to greater success. The spark has been ignited and the wait is for everything to fall into the right place.

read more less
Apr 13

Don Tshering Lepcha sets sights on I-League promotion

By Sikkim Express

Don Tshering Lepcha who led his team, Delhi United FC to the final round of 2nd Division I-League has now set his sights.....

read more less
Feb 09

Don Tshering Lepcha in Delhi United FC squad for 2nd Div I-League

By DUFC

Sikkim midfielder Don Tshering Lepcha has been named in Delhi United FC for the 2nd Division i-league......

read more less