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Established in 1986 with the aim of uplifting tribal communities from the remote Abujhmarh region of Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district, the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Ashram has quietly grown into an unlikely cradle for football talent.
The Ramakrishna Mission Football Academy (RKMFA) in the Ashram is about 250 km from the state capital Raipur and its impact was visible at the ongoing Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026, where more than a dozen players across the men's and women's football squads represented Chhattisgarh after being groomed at the Ashram, according to a release. While the women's team qualified for the final, the men's team has also entered the semifinals. Notably, the Khelo India Tribal Games began on March 25 and will conclude on April 3. The Games are being held in Chhattisgarh. "There are about 12-13 players from the academy in each men's and women's football teams competing in the KITG 2026," said Chhattisgarh Football Association (CFA) assistant general secretary and AIFF executive committee member Mohan Lal. Located in the Bastar region, once synonymous with isolation and conflict, RK Mission has for decades worked to bring education and opportunity to children from some of the most remote tribal villages, many of them deep inside forested areas with little or no access to formal schooling. The Ashram provides them with free education, while also nurturing their interests in music and sports. Beyond academics, sports have become a key pillar of the Ashram's development programme. Children are introduced to various disciplines at an early age and are given structured training alongside their education, allowing them to pursue careers in sports while continuing their studies. Every year, around 50 to 60 students from the institution earn the chance to compete in national-level tournaments, reflecting the steady pipeline of talent emerging from the residential campus. According to Mohan Lal, the Ashram has built a strong sporting infrastructure to support its students. The campus houses three football grounds, including an astro-turf facility, along with indoor arenas for badminton, table tennis, kho-kho and mallakhamb. Mohan Lal believes that sport has played a transformative role in the lives of many children who come from areas affected by the long-running conflict due to Naxalism. Today, the Ashram is home to more than 2,700 children across different age groups, offering them not only education but also a chance to dream of future as doctors, engineers, sportspersons or academicians. "In many ways, it is one of the best residential schools in the country," Mohan Lal said, highlighting the Ashram's unique role in shaping lives through education and sport. "There are approximately around 2700 students, ranging from all age groups, and classes 1 to 12 in the school, and a number of the products of the school have been absorbed by several top companies, and many are studying in the top institutions around the country," he added. Lal said that the sporting facilities in the academy also garnered attention when the Ramakrishna Mission Football Academy (RKMFA) became the first football club from the state to participate in the Under-17 Youth Cup in 2022-23, conducted by the All India Football Federation. (ANI)
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