Raipur, April 1 (IANS) Players from the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Ashram have helped Chhattisgarh surge into the knockouts of the ongoing Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) 2026, underlining the institution’s growing influence in nurturing football talent from one of the country’s most remote regions.

Established in 1986 with the aim of uplifting tribal communities, the ashram, located around 250 km from state capital Raipur, has quietly built a robust ecosystem combining education and sports development. Today, more than a dozen players across the men’s and women’s football squads representing Chhattisgarh at KITG have been groomed at the institution.

While the women’s team has qualified for the final, the men’s team has also advanced to the semifinals, underlining the ashram’s growing influence in the sport.

“There are about 12-13 players from the academy in each men and women’s football teams competing in the KITG 2026,” said Chhattisgarh Football Association (CFA) assistant general secretary and AIFF executive committee member Mohan Lal.

Located in the Bastar region, long synonymous with isolation and conflict due to Naxalism, the ashram has for decades worked to bring education and opportunity to children from remote tribal villages, many deep inside forested areas with little or no access to formal schooling.

The residential institution provides free education while also nurturing interests in music and sports. Over time, sports has become a key pillar of its development programme, with children introduced to multiple disciplines early and provided structured training alongside academics.

Each year, around 50 to 60 students from the campus earn opportunities to compete in national-level tournaments, reflecting a steady pipeline of talent.

According to Lal, the ashram has developed strong infrastructure to support its sporting ambitions, including three football grounds — one of them an astro-turf — along with indoor facilities for badminton, table tennis, kho-kho and mallakhamb.

The ashram is currently home to more than 2,700 children across different age groups, offering them not just education but pathways to careers as doctors, engineers, sportspersons and academicians.

“In many ways, it is one of the best residential schools in the country,” Lal said.

“There are approximately around 2700 students, ranging from all age groups, and classes 1 to 12 in the school, and a number of the products of the school have been absorbed by several top companies, and many are studying in the top institutions around the country,” he added.

Lal also noted that the academy’s sporting facilities have drawn wider attention, especially after the Ramakrishna Mission Football Academy (RKM FA) became the first football club from the state to participate in the Under-17 Youth Cup conducted by the All India Football Federation and the I-League 2.

–IANS

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