Youngsters Himesh Meena, Ritik Meena and Sahil Meena from Zawar excel during ZFA’s impressive Zonal Round campaign
Udaipur : Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company’s flagship social impact initiative Zinc Football Academy (ZFA), has qualified for the Final Round of the AIFF Under-18 Elite League 2025–26 following a strong performance in the Zonal Round, with local talents from Zawar playing an important role in the Academy’s success.
ZFA have enjoyed an impressive zonal round campaign so far, registering 11 wins from 14 matches, along with two draws and only one defeat, to comfortably secure a spot in the Final Round. The Academy’s home record has been particularly remarkable, remaining unbeaten in all seven home matches, scoring 37 goals and conceding none. The zonal round, which commenced in November 2025, follows a home-and-away format where each team faces the other twice.
Among the key contributors to the team is Zawar’s own Himesh Meena, who has been part of the Academy for the past two years. After suffering an injury during last season’s Final Round of the national youth league that kept him out for nearly four months, Himesh has made an impressive comeback this season. Playing primarily as a forward while also contributing in midfield, he has become a mainstay of the team, scoring crucial goals, linking up play and creating opportunities for his teammates.
Two other promising players from Zawar — Ritik Meena and Sahil Meena, have also made significant strides this season by making their first team debuts in the AIFF Under-18 Elite League Zonal Round. Ritik, a forward, and Sahil, a defender, both began their football journey through the Zinc Football Community Schools programme and have progressed through the development pathway created by Zinc Football.
Coming from humble backgrounds, the rise of these three young footballers has brought pride to their families and the wider football-loving community in Zawar. Their progress reflects the growing impact of Hindustan Zinc’s Zinc Football program, which continues to nurture local talent and create opportunities for young players through the world’s most loved sport. There are more Zawar talents in the Academy’s senior team and Under-15 girls team as well.
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 performances of goalkeeper Rajrup Sarkar with the India Under-17 National team 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 background.
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.
