Written by Manisha VCS for The New Indian Express

In March 2023, the Tabbie Me Football Clinic in Thevara, Kochi, pulled together 25 young hopefuls from across the district for a focused, full-time training programme. Just two years on, this batch of U-13s moulded under coach K Ravindran are already making their mark.

Two of the girls, Amna Aliya and Sikha S, have been picked for the Ernakulam district junior team. Alvin Alexander and Albin Yesudas will line up for the district sub-junior team. One boy, Jeevan Joseph, has earned a ticket to an international camp in Sweden, while another recently wrapped up a training stint in England.

“These are the results of a community development programme we had been conducting along with Tabbie-Me edu-tech company,” says coach Ravi, as he is known. “We wanted focused, grassroots-level football development, and it’s heartening to see results in such a short time. The CMI management of Sacred Heart College and its grounds has also backed us strongly.”

For Tabbie-Me, a London-based edu-tech firm co-founded by Chintu George Varghese, the football clinic was always meant to be more than just a project.

“We wanted to give underprivileged kids from in and around Ernakulam every facility possible to develop their skills. From training and equipment to nutrition and medical support, we try to cover everything,” he says. A sportsman in his school days, Chintu had long been searching for a way to give back through sport when he met coach Ravi.

For players like 14-year-old Amna Aliya from Fort Kochi, that support has been game-changing. A sub-junior national player, she credits the Thevara facility with sharpening her talent. “I’ve been playing football since I was eight. Joining this centre helped me achieve so much. I dream of becoming a professional footballer,” she says.

Her teammate, Jeevan Joseph, echoes the sentiment. Training at Thevara since fifth grade, and part of the Tabbie-Me batch since its start, Jeevan was selected to play in Sweden’s Gothia Cup. “The first thing I do in the morning is train at the academy. I even have breakfast there before heading to class. Then I’m back again in the evenings. It’s become a way of life,” he says.

That kind of dedication is exactly what the programme hopes to unlock. “There’s a lot of hidden talent in kids around us, but without proper support, it never surfaces,” says Chintu. “Our goal is to stand with them until they realise their potential. The early successes have only strengthened our resolve.”

With momentum building, the initiative is now looking to branch out. “We’re in talks with FISAT College to extend the programme to their men’s team as well,” says coach Ravi.

Of the initial 25 scouted by Tabbie-Me, many are now wearing district colours or gaining admission to prominent sports schools in Kerala.

“One thing we’re especially proud of is the number of young girls coming up through our academy. Right now, Kerala has only one woman in the senior Indian football team. We hope to change that,” he adds.