PANAJI
National Sports Day commemorates the legacy of Major Dhyan Chand, the three-time Olympic gold medalist in hockey. The 2025 theme — “Sport to Promote Peaceful Societies” — highlights the importance of supporting athletes and promoting inclusive sports development.
Sesa Goa who have been involved in promoting sports for over seven decades, particularly football. Between 1954 and 1992, the company ran the Sesa Sports Club, and in 1999, it established the Sesa Football Academy (SFA) at the Sanquelim Reclaimed Mines. Since then, over 8,000 youth have trained through its academy programs, camps, teams, and tournaments.
SFA’s senior men’s team was runner-up in the Goa Pro League 2023–24 and later competed in the I-League 3. Notably, 12 players from the academy have represented India at international tournaments, including Denzil Franco, Adil Khan, Pratesh Shirodkar, and Glan Martins.
Unlike typical professional clubs, SFA operates as a CSR initiative and continued its activities even during the mining ban. The academy focuses on youth from rural backgrounds and has received 3-star accreditation from the All India Football Federation—making it one of only 15 such academies nationwide and the only one from Goa.
The academy has expanded to support women’s football. Since 2017, it has financially backed the Vedanta Women’s League (VWL), which has seen participation from over 1,400 women footballers. Players such as Karishma Shirvoikar and Michel Castanha have gone on to represent India internationally. In 2025, the SFA women’s team won the VWL and finished third in IWL2. Pearl Fernandes, an SFA player, currently represents India in the U-17 SAFF Women’s Championship.
SFA also organizes youth tournaments, such as the U-15 Youth Cup and the Sesa Vedanta U-15 Tournament for girls, alongside the Vedanta Football Championship for rural clubs.
Sesa Goa has supported other sports disciplines as well. Para athlete Sakshi Kale, silver medalist at the 2025 World Para Athletics Grand Prix and bronze winner at the Tata India Open, has received financial and logistical support. The company also backs initiatives like the Vedanta Ultimate Badminton League and various cricket tournaments across its locations.
Navin Jaju, CEO, Sesa Goa, Vedanta Limited reflecting on the company’s role in promoting sports said “At Vedanta Sesa Goa, we believe sport is a catalyst for transformation. Through the Sesa Football Academy (SFA), we’re nurturing grassroots talent—creating pathways for youth from rural areas to represent India and build secure futures. The SFA Senior Women’s Team’s recent IWL2 performance & the success of players like Pearl Fernandes highlights our commitment to professional training and inclusive growth.”
These efforts have contributed to developing grassroots sports in Goa and provided platforms for emerging talent across multiple disciplines.
