Bangalore, Oct 14 (IANS): As part of Indo-French collaboration, a new initiative involving Eric Benny Sports Management (EBSM) and French Football Club FC Metz was launched here Tuesday with support from the Consulate General of France.

The mission of this roadshow is travelling from state to state within the country to identify talent at the grassroots level and thereafter selecting, grooming, training and ranking talented children within the age group of 8 to 12 years before placing them in a world class football academy like FC Metz in France.

Sunil Chhetri, captain of the Indian national team and Bengaluru Football Club, said Indian players did not shirk hard work but much more needed to be done for talent to blossom.

“Unless the teacher is good to teach the right way at the right age, and players learn to simultaneously work smart and work hard, only then can there be improvement, else a fiasco,” Chhetri said speaking at the launch function.

After having successfully sent nine Indian children to FC Metz, EBSM is launching Nov 9 eight weeks of 4x4 football league across Decathlon sites in Bangalore.

EBSM is inviting children passionate about football to try and get selected for a second round of all-India elite pool of young footballers before attempting the top rank in order to avail of a career-breaking opportunity at F C Metz.

The selection process is undertaken by FC Metz who come to India for screening the best talent.

Eric Benny, former Indian footballer and manager of the Indian national team, ended with a tagline “Help us build a better India for football”.

Eric Lavertu, Consul General of France, termed this as innovative cooperation with immense potential given the young population of India.