Brazil legend Ronaldinho’s R10 football academy is expected to open in Kolkata in the next five months. The project will be based in Rajarhat, outside Kolkata. Real estate company the Merlin Group will be building the academy as part of their ‘RISE- Sports Republic’ project.
The other sports stars that are part of the project are Yuvraj Singh and Michael Phelps. Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff is also a part of the sporting project. This initiative will result in the building of an all-weather pitch where five-a-side- seven-a-side and nine-a-side games can be played simultaneously.
The other sports that will also have facilities built are cricket, MMA and swimming. The project aims to develop talent from the city through state-of-the-art technology and facilities.
“West Bengal, as well as India, is the treasure-trove of untrained talents in sports. There is no dearth of talent but I sensed a sports infrastructure gap in Bengal. There is a dire need for identifying and grooming talents from the grassroot level. This motivated me to set up a world class sports infrastructure and sports academies of internationally acclaimed brands to nurture the talents,” said Saket Mohta, Managing Director, Merlin Group.
The R10 academy has been set up in North America, South America, the Middle East and other parts of Asia. It is now set to open in Kolkata and improve the overall level of young talent in the city. The R10 academy has exclusive courses for boys and girls between the ages of four and seventeen.
