Srinagar, [India], July 17: In a landmark and historic achievement for football in Jammu & Kashmir, the J&K Sports Council Football Academy has become the first and only academy in the Union Territory to receive the prestigious 3-Star Academy Accreditation from the All India Football Federation, placing it among an elite group of professionally managed football academies in the country and marking a significant milestone in the region’s football development.
The achievement places the JKSC Football Academy among a select group of professionally managed football academies in the country and on par with renowned clubs such as Mohun Bagan Super Giant and NorthEast United FC, which also hold AIFF 3-Star Accreditation. Notably, the JKSC Football Academy has secured this recognition ahead of several academies run by Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League clubs that are yet to attain a similar accreditation level.
The AIFF Academy Accreditation programme is a nationally recognized quality benchmark that evaluates academies on infrastructure, coaching standards, player development programmes, governance, sports science, safeguarding, competition structure, and long-term youth development. The accreditation is a key criterion for participation in AIFF Youth League competitions and reflects an academy’s commitment to producing quality footballers through a structured and professional development pathway.
The recognition is a testament to the sustained efforts of the J&K Sports Council in building a world-class football ecosystem in the region. Through qualified coaching staff, scientific training methodologies, structured grassroots programmes, and a clear player progression pathway, the Council has laid a strong foundation for nurturing the next generation of footballers from Jammu & Kashmir.
The accreditation will provide greater opportunities for young players from the Union Territory to compete in national AIFF youth competitions, while coaches associated with the academy will receive preference for advanced coaching license upgradation, further enhancing the technical standards of football development in the region.
The AIFF Academy Accreditation system aims to strengthen youth development across the country by setting minimum quality standards, encouraging professional coaching, promoting talent identification, and creating a seamless pathway from grassroots football to the professional game.
This landmark achievement reinforces the J&K Sports Council’s vision of establishing Jammu & Kashmir as a significant contributor to Indian football and creating opportunities for aspiring footballers to excel at the highest levels of the sport.
