3 J&K Bank Football Academy graduates make it to Santosh Trophy squad

Srinagar, Nov 10: Continuing with its tradition of producing top quality footballers, three Jammu and Kashmir Bank Football Academy graduates have made it to the 22-man J&K squad for the Santosh Trophy.

Scheduled to be held across various cities in the country, 78th Senior Men’s Football National Championship Santosh Trophy 2024 beginning November 20 will see 38 teams vying for the title triumph with J&K clubbed in Group A alongside Punjab, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.

Trained at J&K Bank Football Academy, the trio that include Athar Irshad, Huzafah Ahmad Dar and Talib Nazir have been groomed and will be joining the galaxy of stars who have represented J&K and country with pride and performance for everyone to take note of.

Buoyed by the inclusion of Bank’s academy recruits in the UT side to play coveted Santosh Trophy, Chairperson J&K Bank Sports Board Tabassum Nazir hoped players would make their mark with their unique skills and performance.

“We are thrilled to know that three of our football academy players have been selected in the J&K senior men’s squad that will feature in the prestigious Santosh Trophy”, she said while emphasising that J&K Bank has always supported talented and aspiring footballers and shaped their careers to help them rub shoulders with the best in Indian football ecosystem.

Notably, J&K Bank has over the years commanded a reputation of giving a flip to J&K football thanks to its football academy managed by top coaches of the UT. It also has different age-group teams that feature in the football tourneys across the Country having brought glory to the Bank and the UT with many title triumphs.

“It is with this belief that sports plays a huge part in strengthening the future of the country, J&K Bank, which is at the forefront of securing economic future of UTs of J&K & Ladakh, nurtures the sporting talent here. A good number of players have got an opportunity to grow and learn under the watchful eyes of J&K Bank Football coaches before going ahead to represent their UT and country with honour and pride” said Vice Chairman Sports Board Syed Shujaat Hussain Andrabi, while congratulating the players for their inclusion in the J&K senior men’s team.