In India, Premier Skills works with key national partners such as the Indian Super League, the Sports Authority of India, the All India Football Federation and the Indian Super League (ISL) to inspire and support marginalised young people, especially girls and young people through community projects and football training programmes in urban and rural regions across the north, south, east and west of the country.
Since 2007, Premier Skills has equipped grassroots coaches with the skills to develop their own community football projects, with a focus on providing development opportunities to coaches from disadvantaged backgrounds and empowering women and girls through football.
The Kolkata Goalz project, a partnership between Premier Skills and the Kolkata police force, engaged 1,400 young people in some of the most deprived areas of the city, developing their life skills and building more positive relationships between the target communities and the authorities.
Premier Skills coach educators have gone on to initiate a host of community initiatives across India to tackle social issues, including:
Moner Katha (Thoughts from My Heart)
Initiated by coach educator Madhusudan Majumdar, with the Jeevika Development Society, this project based in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, involved 28 girls aged 7-17 and focused on the prevention of child marriage and violence against women and girls, while promoting skills development. The girls now work as peer educators and are have gained the self-confidence to realise their dreams.
The Football Project
Coach educator Madhusudan Majumdar has also formed a football team with the same girls, and community mindsets have been changed about the ability of girls to play football. Many participants have strengthened their self-management skills, have better relationships with their peers and families, have increased their mobility and confidence, and now feel empowered to make decisions.
Female football Summer Camp
Tanaz Hassan Mohammed, a Premier Skills coach educator in Mumbai, runs a football summer camp to increase female participation in sports and tackle the social norms that ordinarily prevent women and girls from playing football.
The news of a female coach training on a ground where only male coaches had been seen before spread like wildfire. After engaging with mothers in the community, I had more than 500 girls, who hadn’t touched a football before, out on the field.
Tanaz, Premier Skills Coach Educator
Reach
- 5,040 grassroots coaches and referees trained
- 111,720 young people engaged through inclusive community football projects
- 41 per cent female participation on community football projects for young people run by Premier Skills coaches and referees
It was my chance to do something for my community through football.
Kuntala, Premier Skills Coach Educator
Key partnerships
- Sports Authority of India
- All India Football Federation and member associations
- Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
- British Deputy High Commissioners for Chennai and Mumbai
- India on Track
- Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL)
- Indian Super League (ISL)
Future goals
Premier Skills will continue to work with coach educators and referees to improve their skills and deliver bespoke society and educational programmes.
