Jamshedpur FC: Vision, Infrastructure and… profits?
Jamshedpur FC might not be in their best of form this season, after a prolific season, but their robust academic structure, stadium and their own academy means JFC are ready to be the pioneers of change for Indian Football, but can they sustain?
Let’s hear about a bit about Jamshedpur FC:
Jamshedpur FC is owned by by Tata Steel, the Steel division of the Tata Group, one of India’s most popular and biggest conglomerates. Further, JFC plays their home games in the JRD Tata Sports Complex, also owned by Tata Steel, and thus operated by Jamshedpur FC.
Tata Football Academy:
Tata Football Academy is the brainchild of Tata Group’s commitment to sports, and therefore, ranks as one of the best football academies in India.
Tata Football Academy forms an integral part of Jamshedpur FC’s grassroots program. But what is their grassroot program?
Grassroots:
Jamshedpur FC follows a detailed approach towards football. With a vision to promote Football as the No.1 sport, the process starts with professional careers on one side, which with proper educational qualifications and experience, are appointed in various departments over the club, namely in Coaching, Refereeing, Administration and also across infrastructure.
On a different side, JFC aims to play competitive football, across various leagues, for maximum number people to play and maximum number of fans to follow football. More number of people playing football means more kids training for football, across various age groups, who too will contribute to the youth football leagues.
Pathway:
The good part of having a robust academy and a professinal team at the top tier league is a clear pathway for the talented.
Player’s for example, can start with being a Grassroots player, followed by JFC Youth Team by Tata Football Academy (U18, U15 & U13). The players, if found talented or qualified enough to be curated according to JFC’s ideology, whereby players are being promoted to JFC’s ISL Team.
Academies are a way for football clubs across the world to brew talent, and JFC’s developed approach is only a testament to how Indian conglomerates are too interested in the development of Indian Football.
All’s well, but Profits?
There’s a downside of being owned by a huge conglomerate. For a start, JFC’s Shirt Sponsor has been either Tata or Tata Steel. The back sponsor, too, has been Tata Steel, Tata Trusts, Tata Pravesh, and only recently SBI has been the sponsors. That’s not all folks. The Chest Sponsor too, has been Tata Trusts or Tata since their inception. The last set of sponsors, the sleeve sponsor has been Tata Motors, TCS, Tata Pravesh, and Tata Motors new car launches: Altroz, Punch & Tiago.
The problem with Indian Football is the lack of profitability for the clubs, across all tiers. JFC might be able to show profitability thanks to it’s sponsorship by all Tata Group’s companies. However, this is a temporary solution to football developments, but unless the AIFF & FSDL devise a method to make club’s profitable, it might be possible for clubs like JFC to sustain, but the lack of parity across clubs might be a hurdle for Indian Football’ development.
