MARGAO
As part of Reliance Football Youth Academy’s 10th anniversary celebrations, a session was led by Stephen Charles, Head of Scouting at Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC), and featured a special appearance by Felixson Fernandes, an RFYC alumnus from Goa who currently plays for Bengaluru FC.
“As part of our academy’s 10th anniversary celebrations, we’re hosting a football clinic in Goa that also serves as a scouting opportunity for our next intake,” said Stephen Charles. “Youngsters here get a chance to train with a professional like Felixson Fernandes, a graduate of our Young Champs program, and learn from his journey both on and off the pitch. Goa is a crucial talent hub for us—we scout here across all age groups for nearly eight months a year. Some of our standout graduates from the region include Nathan Rodrigues, Narendra Naik, and of course, Felixson. I’m confident that many more Goan players will go on to represent ISL clubs and the Indian national team,” he added.
During the clinic, participating children engaged in a mix of skill-building and fun activities such as passing drills, attack vs defence exercises, 1v1 and 2v2 games, culminating in a short, spirited football match. The youngsters also gained valuable insights into the professional game, as Felixson shared his experiences of playing at the senior level and offered tips to help them better understand the sport’s demands.
