Kerala Blasters FC Reserves and Academy
Kerala Blasters Football Club Reserves and Academy are the reserve team and youth academy system of the Kochi based Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters. The reserve team of the Blasters competes in the I-League 2nd Division, the second division of Indian football and Kerala Premier League, the top division of Kerala football. The youth system consists of three teams, Under-18, Under-15 and Under-13 age groups that competes in the Elite League, the top tier league of youth football system in India.
| File:Kerala Blasters FC logo.svg | |||
| Full name | Kerala Blasters FC Reserves and Academy | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Manjappada (Yellow Army) Little Tuskers Young Blasters | ||
| Founded | Reserves: 12 January 2017 Academy: 11 August 2015 | ||
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| Owner | Kerala Blasters FC | ||
| Chairman | Nikhil Bhardwaj | ||
| Head coach | T. G. Purushothaman (Reserves and U-18) Vacant (U-15) Vacant (U-13) | ||
| League | I-League 2nd Division (Reserves) Kerala Premier League (Reserves) Youth League (U-18) Hero Juniors League (U-15) Hero Sub Juniors League (U-13) | ||
| 2019-2020 (I League 2) 2019-2020 (KPL) 2019-2020 (Youth League) | 5th in group C Champions Cancelled due to COVID Pandemic | ||
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ReservesEdit
HistoryEdit
On 20 February 2018, it was announced by the All India Football Federation, the organising body for Indian football, that the Kerala Blasters along with six other Indian Super League sides would field a reserve team in the I-League 2nd Division, India's third division football league.[1]
The first ever match competitive match for the reserves were against Ozone F.C on 16 March 2018 in which they suffered a defeat.[2] But they managed to become the table toppers of Group B by winning seven games from ten matches.[3] However as per the rules, reserve teams of the clubs were not eligible for advancing into the final round. In the same year itself, the side also started to participate in the Kerala Premier League, which is the top division league for the clubs from Kerala.[4] During their first season in KPL, they finished the group stage in third place behind Sports Academy Tirur by one point thus missing the play-offs.
In 2018-19 ,they finished the I-League 2nd Division in third place of the group.[5] In KPL they became the semi finalists during the 2018-19 season.
They won the 2019-2020 season of Kerala Premier League after defeating the reserve side of their rivals Gokulam Kerala FC in a Penalty shootout.[6] In the I-League 2nd Division, they finished the season in fifth place.
In January 2021, the club appointed T. G Purushothaman as their new head coach of the reserve side, replacing Renjith TA and Shameel Chembakath.[7]
Reserves squadEdit
- As of 18 April 2021[8]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Statistics and recordsEdit
Season-by-seasonEdit
- As of 18 April 2021
Note: Reserve clubs are not promoted nor allowed to play in playoffs of I-League 2nd Division
| Season | I-League 2nd Division | Top Scorer | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Position | Player | Goals | |
| 2017–18 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 17 | 21 | 1st (Group B) |  Shaiborlang Kharpan
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8 |
| 2018–19 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 3rd (Group B) | Pragyan Gogoi
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3 |
| 2019–20 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 5 | 5th (Group C) | Ronaldo Oliveira
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4 |
| Season | Kerala Premier League | Top Scorer | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Position | Playoffs | Player | Goals | |
| 2017–18 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 10 | 15 | 3rd (Group A) | DNQ | Shaiborlang Kharpan
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8 |
| 2018–19 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 2nd (Group A) | Semi Finalists | Jithin M.S.
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3 |
| 2019–20 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 2nd (Group A) | Champions | Shaiborlang Kharpan
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4 |
| 2020–21 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 4th (Group B) | DNQ | Nihal Sudheesh Sreekkuttan V.S.
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2 |
Kit manufacturers and Shirt sponsorsEdit
| Period | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt Prime Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2017—2018 | Admiral Sportswear | Muthoot Group |
| 2018—2020 | Six5Six | |
| 2020— | Reyaur Sports | BYJU'S |
Youth and academyEdit
The Kerala Blasters youth system known as KBFC Young Blasters currently consists of 3 teams from 3 different age groups, the Under-18, Under-15 and Under-13.[9] The U-18 team participates in the Elite league which is the top division of youth football in India.[10] The U-15 participates in the Hero Juniors League and the Junior most team, the U-13 plays at the Hero Sub-Juniors League respectively. The U-15 side also participates in the Kerala U-15 Academy League, a regional youth league. The young talents from the Under-18 team playing in the Elite League are promoted into the reserve team based on their performance.
HistoryEdit
Inception and early years: 2015–2019Edit
In association with the Kerala Football Association, the Kerala Blasters announced the opening of 25 football schools throughout Kerala.[11] In addition to the schools, the club announced that they would also hold weekend grassroots leagues for the children of under-10 to under-16 and the start of a residential academy in the future.[11] The first Kerala Blasters Football School was inaugurated on 11 August 2015 at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium Kochi after 15 months which the club was founded.[12] Later, three more schools were opened in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Thrissur as a part of the club's new youth academy system. Former Irish International Terry Phelan was appointed as the head of the grassroots.[13] In 2017, Thangboi Singto was appointed as the technical director of the youth.[14] In the same year itself, their U-18 and U-15 teams began to participate in the Elite League and Juniors League respectively. The U-18 team became the runners up of the 2017–18 Youth League in their first ever appearance while the U-15 side managed to reach the play offs. In 2018, the U-13 side started to participate in the Sub-Juniors League.[15]
KB Young Blasters: 2019–presentEdit
In 2019, Blasters rejuvenated their youth system. They launched the KB Young Blasters and appointed Mario Marinică as the technical director of the youth.[16] As a part of this, a residential academy was also launched for the first time in club's history.[17] The Blasters also announced that they will launch India's first ever goalkeeping academy in Kochi headed by John Burridge.[18][19] As a part of KB Young Blasters, the club also started the Young Ambassador Program in September 2020. It focus on the promising youngsters from the club’s Young Blasters centers across Kerala to make them oriented, trained and equipped with adequate skill and technique, to be the face and voice of the club in the future.[20]
On 16 October 2020, the Blasters announced a five-year partnership agreement with "Sporthood", which is a network of sports centres. The Young Blasters program is now termed as “Young Blasters – Sporthood Academy”, that imparts a Kerala Blasters verified performance training curriculum to kids, reviewed and audited by the club's experts from time to time.[21] On 16 January 2021, the club announced the association of "FC Imphal City", the first academy from Manipur to play in the Hero Indian Elite League with the Young Blasters – Sporthood Academy.[22] This was the first time that the Blasters expanded their grassroot system outside of Kerala.[23] In February 2021, the club's senior team assistant manager Tomasz Tchórz took over as the Technical advisor/director role at the Blasters.
List of KBFC Young AmbassadorsEdit
2020[24]Edit
- Jovial P. Jose
- Francio J. Ambi
- Siddharth C. Basu
- Athul P. Binu
Youth SquadsEdit
Kerala Blasters U18Edit
The Kerala Blasters Under-18 team play in the Elite League (then Youth League U18). They are also the second reserve team of the club or the Kerala Blasters C. The team's best performance came in 2018 as they finished finalists in the 2017–18 season of the league. Best performers in the side are promoted to the Kerala Blasters Reserves Squad.
Current squadEdit
Source: [25]Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Elite Youth League U18 statistics of Kerala Blasters U18
| Season | Position | Top Scorer | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Runners-up | Adharsh AS | 8 | First Appearance |
| 2018–19 | Playoffs | Surag Chhetri | 9 |
Kerala Blasters U15Edit
Kerala Blasters Under-15 side participates in the Hero Juniors League (Elite U15) and Kerala U15 Academy League. The U15 side has young kids filtered from all of Kerala and around other states of India. The Young Blasters had a tremendous run in 2018–19 season of the Elite U15 League (Juniors League) when they made it to the semi-finals of the competition. The U15 Blasters team was coached by Shameel Chembakath from the beginning. He left the team in 2020.
Current squadEdit
Source: [26]Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Hero Juniors League statistics of Kerala Blasters U15
| Season | Position | Top Scorer | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | Playoffs | Joshua NJ, Anandu N | 3 | First Appearance |
| 2018–19 | Semi-finals | Christopher Rajkumar | 10 |
Kerala Blasters U13Edit
The Under-13 side of Blasters Play in the Hero Sub-juniors League (Elite U13). The U-13 Side has a Promising youngsters mainly from the state of Kerala and also other parts of India selected from Kerala Blasters Summer Football Camps.
Current squadEdit
Source: [27]Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Hero Sub-Juniors League statistics of Kerala Blasters U13
| Season | Position | Top Scorer | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Round 3 | Lian Thangkhum | 4 | First Appearance |
Current technical staffEdit
As of 07 February 2021
| Role | Name | Refs. |
|---|---|---|
| Reserves and Under 18 Head Coach | T. G. Purushothaman
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[28] |
| Under 15 Head Coach |  Vacant
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| Under 13 Head coach | ||
| Technical Advisor of Reserves & Grassroots Development |  Tomasz Tchórz
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[29] |
| Team Manager Reserves & U18 | Hidayath Rasi
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[29] |
| Video Analyst Reserves & U18 | Sk Nasim Akhtar
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[29] |
| Director of Goalkeeping Academy |  John Burridge
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[30] |
Technical directors of youthEdit
| Time span | Name |
|---|---|
| 2015–2016 |  Terry Phelan
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| 2017–2019 | Thangboi Singto
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| 2019–2021 |  Mario Marinică
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| 2021– | Tomasz Tchórz
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HonoursEdit
ReservesEdit
Winners (1): 2019–20
YouthEdit
Runners-up (1): 2017–18
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ "Eighteen Teams Will Contest In Second Division League 2017-18". I-League. 20 February 2018. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
- ↑ "I-League 2nd Division 2018 - Results, fixtures, tables and stats - Global Sports Archive". globalsportsarchive.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- ↑ "'Credit where it is due' - Kerala Blasters are the only ISL side to top I-League 2nd division group | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ↑ "Off-field issues bedevilling Kerala Premier League | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ↑ "Hero 2nd Division 2019 - Results, fixtures, tables and stats - Global Sports Archive". globalsportsarchive.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- ↑ "KPL: Blasters edge Gokulam to emerge champs". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters appoint TG Purushothaman as reserves team head coach". Khel Now. 10 January 2021. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ↑ "Squad". I-league.org. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters Football Club". www.the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters Football Club". www.the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Rayan, Stan (1 July 2017). "KBFC to start 25 football schools". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ↑ Bhattacharya, S. (27 July 2015). "Blasters hoping to kick-off a grassroots revolution in Kerala". www.sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ↑ "Indian Super League: Kerala Blasters Football Schools inaugurated in Kochi | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ↑ "Thangboi Singto signs for Kerala Blasters as Assistant Coach & Technical Director for Youth!". Arunava about Football. 25 June 2017. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters And Its Exemplary Youth System | IFTWC - Indian Football Team For World Cup". Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ↑ "KBFC Young Blasters announces Mario Marinica as Technical Director". Indian Super League. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ↑ "Spurred by new residential academy, Kerala Blasters gear-up for Hero Junior League semifinal | Hero I-League". Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ↑ Jul 8, Rayson Tennyson | TNN |; 2019; Ist, 20:48. "Kerala Blasters to start India's first goalkeeping academy | Football News - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "ISL: Kerala Blasters' John Burridge out to repeat his legacy in Indian football | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters launch Young Ambassador Program for young diplomats". Khel Now. 11 September 2020. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters join hands with Sporthood for grassroots and youth development". Khel Now. 17 October 2020. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ↑ "Young Blasters-Sporthood Academy Join Hands With Fc Imphal City". Kerala Blasters FC. 16 January 2021. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ↑ "YOUNG BLASTERS-SPORTHOOD ACADEMY JOIN HANDS WITH FC IMPHAL CITY - Malayalam MyKhel". malayalam.mykhel.com (in മലയാളം). 16 January 2021. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ↑ "'Young Ambassador Program' – Kerala Blasters FC". Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters Football Club". www.the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters Football Club". www.the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters Football Club". www.the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters (Twitter account)". twitter.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 "Kerala Blasters (Twitter account)". twitter.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
- ↑ "Kerala Blasters to launch first-of-its-kind Goalkeeping Academy in Kochi". Indian Super League. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.