The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Department of Sports and Youth Services (DSYS) of the Government of Odisha have renewed their five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand their elite youth football collaboration.

The agreement was signed by Vijay Yeddula, Director of Sports, DSYS, and AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan, with AIFF Technical Director Syed Sabir Pasha also in attendance, as stated in a press release.

AIFF Deputy Secretary General Satyanarayan expressed gratitude towards the Government of Odisha and the DSYS for their ongoing support in renewing the partnership. He noted, ‘The results from our first cohort speak for themselves – players who trained at the AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy have gone on to join top academies, represented India at the U17 level at just 15 years of age, and we have already seen promising youngsters from Odisha making their mark. This is only the beginning. With this renewed agreement, we are committed to building on that momentum and taking Indian football to greater heights.’

The renewed MoU builds on the initial agreement signed in November 2023, which has already yielded significant achievements, including a semi-final finish in the U17 AIFF Elite Youth League 2024-25, four players in the India U17 national team, and an Odisha girl advancing to the India U19 Women’s National Team, all within two years.

The new agreement outlines a structured framework with defined roles, governance, performance benchmarks, and financial commitments. Supported by FIFA’s Talent Development Scheme, the academy will continue to implement international development standards, sports science, and clear pathways to professional football.

According to the release, AIFF will oversee the technical and operational aspects of player development, while DSYS will offer institutional, financial, and infrastructure support.