Panaji: FC Goa defender Sandesh Jhingan shared his thoughts on the issue of age fraud in football, describing it as harmful to young players’ confidence. Speaking during the "Stay Your Age" U-15 football tournament, held from September 12 to 18 in Navi Mumbai, Jhingan discussed how playing against older players during his youth affected him and many others.
“This needs to stop. Age fraud has been a big problem for years,” Jhingan said. “During my U-15 and U-17 days, we always knew some players were older but still playing in our age group. There were times I felt I wasn’t good enough because other players were stronger, faster, and more mature, but it was only because they were older.”
Jhingan explained that the difference of even two years in age can have a huge impact on a young player's performance and confidence. “At that age, just two years can make a massive difference in the quality you produce on the pitch. Luckily, I kept going and believed in myself. But it needs to stop. It's sad that it still happens, not just in football, but in all sports worldwide.”
The tournament aimed to address this issue by conducting strict document verification for players. Six teams participated: Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC), FC Goa, Bengaluru FC, Dempo SC, FC Madras, and Mizoram Football Association (MFA). The event saw each team play five matches in a league format, ensuring a fair competition.
Jhingan praised the tournament’s efforts to tackle age fraud. “I’m really happy to see clubs and the Reliance Foundation working together to solve this problem.”
