- Veteran India midfielder spends time with Zinc Football Academy’s young footballers and coaches, sharing insights from an illustrious career
- Victor Amalraj experiences Zinc Football Academy’s training ecosystem and the unique F-cube technology
Udaipur : Former Indian football captain Victor Amalraj recently visited Hindustan Zinc’s Zinc Football Academy (ZFA) in Zawar. He engaged with the young footballers and coaches during this visit, and was visibly impressed by the infrastructure, facilities and grassroots development work carried out by the academy.
A respected figure in Indian football and closely associated with the All India Football Federation’s technical ecosystem, Amalraj shared valuable insights from a distinguished career that saw him represent iconic clubs such as Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting, in addition to captaining the Indian national team. He spoke to ZFA players about modern football demands, development pathways and the importance of strong grassroots structures.
Impressed by the infrastructure and ecosystem at the Academy, Victor Amalraj praised Hindustan Zinc’s commitment to grassroots football. He said: “Amazing infrastructure, talented young footballers and passionate coaches – Zinc Football truly has all the ingredients for success. The work being done here is outstanding. Fantastic effort by Hindustan Zinc in building such a strong foundation for the future of Indian football.”
During the visit, Amalraj interacted closely with ZFA’s young boys and girls on the training turf, offering technical guidance, tactical inputs and words of motivation. He also held discussions with the Academy’s coaching staff, exchanging perspectives on youth development and long-term player progression.
The former India skipper toured Zinc Football Academy’s facilities and experienced first-hand the academy’s innovative F-Cube technology – a patented technology of The Football Link, which plays a key role in player monitoring, performance analysis and holistic development.
Since its inception in 2018, Zinc Football Academy – an AIFF 3-star rated Academy, has consistently produced players for India’s age-group teams, strengthening the nation’s talent pool. After Sahil Poonia, Mohammed Kaif, and Prem Hansdak already having donned the national colours, the recent selection of six ZFA players for the prestigious Santosh Trophy marked another proud milestone in the Academy’s continued commitment to contributing meaningfully to Indian Football’s growth story. Recently, the company has launched India’s first residential football academy for girls with an inaugural batch of 20 girls from rural backgrounds.Hindustan Zinc has supported sports for nearly four decades, starting with its football stadium at Zawar in 1976, which continues to host annual National Football Tournaments. Extending beyond football to athletics, kabaddi and volleyball, the company nurtures talent at the grassroots. Its Vedanta Zinc City Half Marathon has put Udaipur on the global running map, with sports initiatives impacting nearly 30,000 lives.
