A village football club makes its way to ‘Elite’ list of All India Football Federation

It is a chilly early morning in December. The sprawling ground of St. John’s Higher Secondary School, Parappur, in Thrisur is buzzing with energy and excitement. Budding football players, covered in mud and sweat, are engaged in their morning practice. These children of various age groups are getting trained under the Parappur Football Club, may be the only club in the name of a village on the All India Football Federation (AIFF) accreditation list.

It is a chilly early morning in December. The sprawling ground of St. John’s Higher Secondary School, Parappur, in Thrisur is buzzing with energy and excitement. Budding football players, covered in mud and sweat, are engaged in their morning practice.

These children of various age groups are getting trained under the Parappur Football Club, may be the only club in the name of a village on the All India Football Federation (AIFF) accreditation list.

Parappur FC, which has produced many international, national and State players, has been selected to the list of ‘Elite’ category’ of academies by the AIFF. The village club secured a place on the list along with 32 other academies from across the country.

“The academies have been included on the ‘Elite’ list for training prospective football players to represent the country in the 2047 World Cup,” said C.C. Hanson, founder of Parappur FC.

Children in the 5-21 age group are selected for the coaching camps here that offer scientific training under licensed coaches of the Asian Football Confederation, UEFA and FIFA. Around 10,000 children take part in the selection trials every year.

Days of Parappur, a quaint village situated 13 km away from Thrissur city, begin with football and end with football.

The village is surrounded by paddy fields and after the harvest season, these fields turn into football grounds for the village people of all ages. These paddy fields used to host many small and big matches. Each family has at least one player. The village contributed many professional footballers such as C.V. Pappachan, P.J. Jose, C.V. Sunny, Regison, and N.J. Antony to the national and international tournaments.