Mumbai, October 13, 2022 – LaLiga Football Schools India (LLFS), a joint project by LaLiga and India On Track which imparts technical know-how and physical training to the youth across different parts of the country, has recently seen one of their students being selected for the Indian U-17 Women’s National Football Team. The 16-year-old Kajol Dsouza, who has been regularly training at the LLFS Centre in Pune since 2018 was selected for the national team training camp recently and is currently playing in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup being hosted in India from 11 to 30 October 2022.

As a team member playing in the midfielder position, Kajol Desouza will be available for play under Swedish coach Thomas Dennerby in the top competition, with India being in Group A which also includes Brazil, the USA, and Morocco. The Indian squad will face off against USA Today, Morocco on 14th October, and Brazil on the 17th of October. The Indian team will play all their matches at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.

Kajol Dsouza, Forward, of the Indian National Women’s U17 Football Team, said, “It is an honor of the highest degree for me to be selected for the National Team, and play in a FIFA World Cup. Football has been my passion since childhood and getting the opportunity to train at LaLiga Football Schools was a dream come true. I’m thankful to my coaches from the Pune center for imparting their knowledge and supporting me in reaching this milestone.”

Saul Vazquez, Senior Specialist – Football Projects Development, LaLiga and In-Charge of LLFS India said, “In the four years since we launched this project in India, we’ve seen tremendous talent and skill from youth across different parts of the country. Kajol was one such standout player and we’re elated that she has the opportunity to use her talent and hard work to make a mark for India on the global stage. We will continue to support her and the other students’ aspirations and wish her all the luck for this U-17 World Cup.”

The LaLiga Football Schools Project was initiated in 2018 and since then has impacted 10,000+ students in the country. The program, which is developed and administered by UEFA pro-licensed coaches from Spain, provides access to global football methodology and technical training to students aged between 9 to 15 years all over India. Furthermore, the program is also designed to leave a deeper impact on the grassroots level through the training of Indian football coaches and administrators of the programs.