Different ball game

"The five days I spent in Bangalore were truly the five days any upcoming passionate footballer would dream about. Manchester United is one of the greatest football clubs in the world and to be coached and trained by four professional FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) licensed coaches was a dream come true,” says 16-year-old Porus Shroff. Come November and Shroff will be off to the Manchester United Club in the United Kingdom, to train there for a period of 10 days from November 17 to 27, 2012, all expenses paid. A committed footballer, Shroff is one of the 12 boys selected from over 1,500 applicants from all over India who took part in the Airtel Manchester United "Rising Star Talent Search.”

Porus Shroff: unique learning experience with Manchester United Soccer School

Only three boys per center (from 16 centers across the country) were called to Bangalore as per the shortlist. "As a parent I was there for all the days of his coaching. The facilities at the Bangalore stadium were great, the manner of coaching superb and the boys were put through drills that they would have seen or done for the very first time!” describes Porus’ father Firdaus. Strategy, skills, technique, endurance, ball control were analyzed by four senior coaches from the Manchester United Soccer School. "Each coach had a batch of 12 boys and they interacted with them for one particular training aspect per day. Another coach would take over the next day with a different aspect… Finally the decision was based on overall performance over the five days,” Firdaus relates. The two chief coaches commended Porus on his footballing skills and tactical ability, which was a super compliment from coaches of this caliber, Firdaus adds.

Porus represents the Kenkre Football Club in Bombay and has travelled with his Club for tournaments in Barcelona, Sweden and Finland. He has captained Maharashtra in the Under-16 (U-16) nationals. The trip to Old Trafford, the home of the Manchester United Football Club, will not only make him a probable for the India U-17 team but will give him exposure, experience and hunger to play at the topmost level, Firdaus believes. "We as parents are so proud that Porus is gaining a life-changing opportunity. This itself will help him secure admission into a good school in the USA as I am proposing to send him there for studies and football next August, if scholarships and grants come his way.” Porus is currently a student of H. R. College in Bombay. "I feel blessed to be given this opportunity and I have no doubt the visit (to UK) is going to be breathtaking and an amazing learning experience,” he avers.

Porus’ older sister Kyra, well-known on the tennis circuit, is presently ranked 531 in singles and 603 in doubles in the world and No. 2 in singles and No. 4 in doubles in India, Firdaus states in response to Parsiana’s query.