TanjaFreese: general fix lead for accuracy and cleaned formatting

2026-02-14T04:39:34Z

general fix lead for accuracy and cleaned formatting

->Billjones94 at 13:02, 17 December 2021

2021-12-17T13:02:14Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian association football academy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Sesa Football Academy
| image = Sesa FA logo.png
| caption =
| fullname = Sesa Football Academy<ref>{{cite web|title=Goa Pro League 2020-21: Fixtures, results, standings & more|url=https://khelnow.com/football/goa-pro-league-2020-21-fixtures-results-telecast|website=Khel Now|date=16 December 2020|access-date=2 July 2021|archive-date=2 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202042728/https://khelnow.com/football/goa-pro-league-2020-21-fixtures-results-telecast|url-status=live}}</ref>
| nickname = SFA
| shortname =
| founded = {{nowrap|{{Start date and years ago|1999|df=yes}}}}
| ground = [[Sircaim #Football academy|Sircaim academy ground]], [[Goa]]
| capacity =
| owner = [[Vedanta Limited|Vedanta Sports]]
| manager = Charles Dias
| league = [[Goa Professional League]]
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| pattern_ra1 =
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| pattern_so1 =
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| body1 = 0000FF
| rightarm1 = 0000FF
| shorts1 = 0000FF
| socks1 = 0000FF
| kit_alt2 =
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}}

'''Sesa Football Academy''' ('''SFA''') is a [[association football|football]] academy based in [[Sanquelim]], [[Goa]].<ref>[https://mobile.twitter.com/VedantaFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Sesa Football Academy official] ''Twitter.com''. Retrieved 31 July 2021</ref> Originally founded in the 1960s as '''Sesa Sports Club''',<ref name="SESA"/> its football team competes in the [[Goa Professional League]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Goa Pro League 2020-21: Fixtures, results, standings & more|url=https://khelnow.com/football/goa-pro-league-2020-21-fixtures-results-telecast|work=Khel Now|date=16 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/india2020.html|title=India 2019/20: Goa Professional League|website=rsssf.com|publisher=[[RSSSF|Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation]]|access-date=3 October 2021|archive-date=7 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007091829/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/india2020.html}}</ref> and previously participated in [[National Football League (India)|NFL II]] and [[I-League 2nd Division]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/71/2010043020100430224350445e3d83fa1/Jotin-heads-in-HAL%E2%80%99s-points-.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-05-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707213242/http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/71/2010043020100430224350445e3d83fa1/Jotin-heads-in-HAL%E2%80%99s-points-.html |archive-date=2011-07-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://the-aiff.com/pages/tournament/tournament-fixtures.php?tournamentdetail=15&sub_tournamentdetail=16 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-04-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321202234/http://www.the-aiff.com/pages/tournament/tournament-fixtures.php?tournamentdetail=15&sub_tournamentdetail=16 |archive-date=2012-03-21 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/india2010.html Indian football results and table] ''Rsssf.com''. Retrieved 31 July 2021.</ref> SFA is a unit of Sesa Community Development Foundation, which is promoted by [[Vedanta Limited]] with the objective of service to the community in its operational areas.<ref>{{cite web|author=Panaji, DHNS |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/7645/sesa-goa-buys-dempo-mining.html |title=Sesa Goa buys Dempo mining firm |publisher=Deccanherald.com |access-date=1 December 2016|date=12 June 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weeksupdate.com/2009/06/sesa-goa-acquires-dempo-mining.html |title=Sesa Goa acquires Dempo Mining « WeeksUpdate |publisher=Weeksupdate.com |date=21 June 2014 |access-date=1 December 2016}}</ref>

SFA began functioning in June 1999. All expenses including the academic studies are taken care of by the academy.<ref>http://www.sesagoa.com/sfa.htm</ref>

Sesa Football Academy was the champion of the Goa First Division League in the 2018–19 season, and gained automatic promotion to the Goa Professional League, where they will play in the 2019–20 season.

== History ==
Sesa Football Academy is the successor of ''Sesa Sports Club'', which was originally founded during the 1960s.<ref name="SESA">[https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/714004840?journalCode=fsas20#:~:text=Along%20with%20West%20Bengal%2C%20Goa%20dominates%20Indian%20football.&text=Salgaocar%2C%20Goa's%20most%20successful%20club,teams%20in%20the%20top%20flight. Football in Goa: Sport, Politics and the Portuguese in India] (pages 75-88) ''Taylor and Francis''. Author: James Mills. Publication date: 14 September 2010 (online published) Retrieved 20 July 2021.</ref> SFA was later established in 1999 with a vision of becoming a premier academy in India, producing footballers for the [[India national football team|Indian national team]] from the state of [[Goa]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Will Dodsal Mumbai be tested better?|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sci-tech-and-agri/will-dodsal-mumbai-be-tested-better/article3837955.ece|access-date=22 February 2015|work=The Hindu|date=30 August 2012}}</ref> The academy identifies talented youngsters with the passion for football, inducts them into the residential program at the academy, and over a period of four years nurtures and develops them as professional footballers and well-disciplined citizens.

The academy's activities have yielded positive results – seven SFA alumni have played for the national team, and eight players took part in the latest edition of the [[Indian Super League]]. Some notable alumni include [[Adil Khan (footballer)|Adil Khan]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://khelnow.com/news/wearing-the-national-team-jersey-again-will-be-a-proud-moment-for-me-adil-khan/|title=Wearing the national team jersey again will be a proud moment for me-Adil Khan|date=30 January 2017}}</ref> [[Denzil Franco]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Thehardtackle Exclusive: "diego Simeone Is a Friend" – Atletico De Kolkata's Denzil Franco|url=http://www.thehardtackle.com/2014/diegosimoinefriend/|accessdate=11 December 2017|work=The Hard Tackle|date=10 October 2014}}</ref> [[Micky Fernandes]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Noronha|first=Anselm|title=I-League: Micky Fernandes Signs For Dempo SC|url=http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/222/transfer-zone/2010/07/09/2017854/i-league-micky-fernandes-signs-for-dempo-sc|work=goal.com|access-date=8 June 2012}}</ref> and [[Pratesh Shirodkar]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Bhutani|first=Rahul|title=Indian Football Transfers – Live Updates, June 29th|url=http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/indian-football-transfers-live-updates-june-29th/|work=The Hard Tackle|date=29 June 2012|access-date=28 August 2012}}</ref>

Till date, more than 150 players have benefited from SFA's programs, out of which some have played internationally and many others have represented various prestigious clubs of the country.

==Football programs==

=== Residential academies ===
Sesa Football Academy presently runs two residential campuses – Sanquelim campus, which began its functioning in June 1999; and Sirsaim campus, which was established in June 2008. Both academies are fully residential with on-site accommodation and all other amenities required for the development of a footballer, including gym, medical facilities, nutrition and boarding facilities, recreational facilities, etc.<ref>[http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/sesa-football-academy-nurturing-the-future-of-indian-football/ Sesa Football Academy: Nurturing the Future of Indian Football] ''The Hard Tackle''. Retrieved 10 August 2021</ref>

Students are also given orientation in sports medicine, physiological assessment and physiotherapy. The academy is [[All India Football Federation|AIFF]]-accredited, and hosts the AIFF Youth Leagues at their campus.

Since they are firmly entrenched in the Vedanta Group's CSR activity, SFA does not charge its students, and all expenses related to student welfare, education, transportation, etc. are borne by SFA.

==== Sanquelim Campus ====
The Sanquelim campus, with 36 players, is a four-year residential program admitting 18 students every two years. It is built on the Sanquelim reclaimed mine site, with a beautiful football ground, well-established gymnasium, and a complete hostel facility along with a recreation center.

==== Sirsaim Campus ====
To further nurture the young talent with football training and to provide a disciplined regime, new infrastructure at Sirsaim was inaugurated on 14 February 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sesa FA's Chukwudi Chukwuma signs for Czech top division side FK Teplice|url=http://www.navhindtimes.in/sports/sesa-fa-s-chukwudi-chukwuma-signs-czech-top-division-side-fk-teplice|work=Navhind Times|access-date=30 March 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140330184646/http://www.navhindtimes.in/sports/sesa-fa-s-chukwudi-chukwuma-signs-czech-top-division-side-fk-teplice|archive-date=30 March 2014}}</ref> Constructed at an approximate cost of Rs. 4 crores, it has state of the art infrastructure at international standards. The Sirsaim academy currently has 30 trainees in its four-year residential program, with a batch of 15 trainees admitted every two years.

==== Staff ====
To guide the technical aspects of both academies, a UEFA Pro License holder [[Spain|Spanish]] coach Eduard Batlle Basart was roped in as technical director for Sesa Football Academy in 2017.<ref>[https://www.arunfoot.com/tag/eduard-battle-basart/ Eduard Batlle Basart as new technical director of SESA] ''arunfoot.com''. Retrieved 31 July 2021</ref> He previously worked with the youth teams at European giants [[Manchester United]] and [[FC Barcelona]].

Sesa Football Academy has a full-fledged staff including two Head Coaches who plan and execute the training program, along with the support of doctors, physiotherapists, and other staff to assist and manage the affairs of the teams and the academies.

Arjuna awardee and ex-Indian captain [[Brahmanand Sankhwalkar]] is the Chief Mentor of Sesa Football Academy.

=== Vedanta Football Schools ===
In line with its objective of identifying and promoting young talent, SFA launched ''Vedanta Football Schools'' in 2012 to identify boys from nearby schools under the age of 14 years, and provide them non-residential football training.<ref>[http://everythingexperiential.businessworld.in/article/Vedanta-s-SESA-Football-Academy-continues-to-foster-skill-development-in-sports-across-the-country/30-06-2020-292621 Vedanta's SESA Football Academy continues to foster skill development in sports across the country] ''everythingexperiential.businessworld.in''. Retrieved 14 August 2021</ref> This is in line with the larger vision of community development in the areas where Vedanta operates.

Currently SFA operates 4 football schools, at Majorda, Nuvem, Sanguem and Thivim. These centers have proved to be a feeding pool for the academy, with 6 students from these schools making it to the residential academy.

=== Vedanta Women's League ===
Working towards the aim of women empowerment through football, Sesa Football Academy launched the Vedanta Women's League in 2017, with the support of [[Goa Football Association]]. The league was inaugurated by then Goa Chief Minister [[Manohar Parrikar]] in the presence of eminent women's football legends.

The Vedanta Women's League has since completed two seasons, with over 200 girls given an opportunity to play football. The winner of the 2018 edition, Panjim Footballers, went on to play in the [[Indian Women's League]] as the sole team from Goa.

==Home ground==
[[Sircaim]] is home to one of the two Sesa Football Academy premises in [[Goa]], the other being at [[Sanquelim]].<ref>[http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/india-goa-stadiums.html India (Goa State) - Stadiums] ''RSSSF''. Retrieved 14 August 2021</ref> The [[Sircaim #Football academy|Sesa Football Academy Ground]] is located at Sircaim and use for both training and league matches.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dempo SC to use Sesa ground in Sirsaim {{!}} Goal.com|url=https://www.goal.com/en-india/news/1064/i-league/2014/01/21/4558712/dempo-sc-to-use-sesa-ground-in-sirsaim|access-date=2020-10-15|website=www.goal.com}}</ref>

Sesa also used [[Duler Stadium|Duler AstroTurf Stadium]] in [[Mapusa]] for some of their Goa Professional League matches.<ref>[https://khelnow.com/football/gpl-2020-21-calangute-association-sesa-football-academy-report Goa Pro League: Sesa hold Calangute Association] ''Khel Now''. Retrieved 15 August 2021</ref>

==Honours==
===League===
*'''[[GFA First Division League|Goa First Division]] / [[Goa Professional League|Goa Pro League]]'''
**Champions (3): 1967–68, 1972–73,<ref>{{cite web|author=Arunava Chaudhuri|url=http://www.indianfootball.de/data/gfl.html|title=List of Champions of the Goa Football League (Goa Pro League)|website=indianfootball.de|publisher=Indian Football Network|access-date=23 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021181607/http://www.indianfootball.de/data/gfl.html|archive-date=21 October 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> 2018–19

===Cup===
* '''[[Sikkim Gold Cup|Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup]]'''
**Champions (1): 1987<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/india-sikkimgoldcuphist.html|title=India – List of All India Governor's Gold Cup Winners (Sikkim)
|website=Rsssf.com|access-date=13 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianfootball.de/data/sikkimgoldcup.html|title=List of Winners/Runners-Up of the Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup|website=indianfootball.de|publisher=Indian Football Network|access-date=16 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006211012/http://www.indianfootball.de/data/sikkimgoldcup.html|archive-date=6 October 2021|url-status=dead|author=Arunava Chaudhuri}}</ref>
*'''Bandodkar Gold Trophy'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goaldentimes.org/tag/bandodkar-trophy/|title=Triviela – Beyond Trivia: Bandodkar Gold Trophy|website=goaldentimes.org|publisher=Golden Times|access-date=14 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021203213/http://www.goaldentimes.org/tag/bandodkar-trophy/|archive-date=21 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Arunava Chaudhury|url=http://www.indianfootball.de/data/bandodkartrophy.html|title=List of Winners/Runners-Up of the Bandodkar Gold Trophy: Goa|website=indianfootball.de|publisher=Indian Football Network|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023211801/http://www.indianfootball.de/data/bandodkartrophy.html|access-date=23 July 2021|archive-date=11 December 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref>
**Champions (2): 1979, 1980
**Runners-up (1): 1974<ref name="tht">{{cite web |author= Sengupta, Somnath |title= Legends Of Indian Football : Brahmanand Sankhwalkar |url= http://www.thehardtackle.com/2014/legends-of-indian-football-brahmanand-sankhwalkar/ |website= thehardtackle.com |date= 27 April 2014 |accessdate= 11 October 2014 |archive-date= 30 April 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140430003147/http://www.thehardtackle.com/2014/legends-of-indian-football-brahmanand-sankhwalkar/ |url-status= live }}</ref>
*'''[[Rovers Cup]]'''
**Runners-up (1): 1995<ref>{{Cite web|title=India - List of Rovers Cup Finals|url=http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/indiaroverscuphist.html|access-date=20 August 2021|website=www.rsssf.com}}</ref>
* '''[[Sait Nagjee Football Tournament]]'''
**Runners-up (1): 1970<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianfootball.de/data/saitnagjeetrophy.html|title=List of Winners/Runners-Up of the Sait Nagjee Trophy|first=Arunava|last=Chaudhuri|website=www.indianfootball.de|access-date=7 September 2015|archive-date=28 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928211306/http://www.indianfootball.de/data/saitnagjeetrophy.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://www.rsssf.com/tablesn/nagjee.html Sait Nagjee Trophy] ''RSSSF''. Retrieved 17 August 2021</ref>

== Affiliated clubs ==
The following club(s) is/are currently associated with Sesa FA:

* {{flagicon|IND}} [[Zinc Football Academy]] (2018–present)<ref>[http://zincfootball.com/archives/3069 Zina FA official: partnership with Sesa Football Academy] ''zincfootball.com''. Retrieved 31 July 2021</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of football clubs in India|List of football clubs in Goa]]
*[[List of Goan State Football Champions]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.soccerway.com/teams/india/sesa-football-academy/ Team profile] at ''Soccerway''
*[https://m.facebook.com/sesafootballacademy/ Official page] at ''Facebook''

[[Category:SESA Football Academy]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1999]]
[[Category:Football clubs in Goa]]
[[Category:I-League clubs]]
[[Category:1999 establishments in Goa]]
[[Category:Youth football in India]]
[[Category:Youth League U18]]
[[Category:Vedanta Resources]]

Sesa Football Academy - Revision history

TanjaFreese: general fix lead for accuracy and cleaned formatting

->Billjones94 at 13:02, 17 December 2021