Mumbai, May 27 (IANS) Mumbai City’s Under-15 side made a strong impression in the 2024-25 All India Football Federation (AIFF) Junior Youth League, underlining the club’s growing commitment to grassroots and developing home-grown talent.

The squad performed at the highest level, beating top clubs from around the country till they were knocked out during the Quarter Final stage by East Bengal FC on penalties on May 22, 2025.

Throughout the tournament, the young Islanders displayed a high level of technical ability, tactical discipline, and competitive spirit. With nine wins and just one loss, Mumbai City started the tournament strong in the group stages and established themselves as the team to watch, which is a testament to the club’s youth development system.

The squad featured only Mumbai-based youngsters, reflecting Mumbai City’s commitment to developing the homegrown talent of players and coaches. The club’s academy offers a clear pathway for young players to grow through the ranks.

Tanishq Pandya, Moksh Girap, Veer Chothani, Arnav Singh, Advik Majumder, Siddhant Chiplunkar, Ayush Koul, and Swaraj More were part of the first intake when academy operations resumed post-COVID in 2022-23, joining the U13s and moving up to the U15s in 2023-24.

Livaan Mittal, Shvet Patil, Nirrvan Tikone, Anuj Kale, Samridh Jha, Devansh Wayal, Neil Mathew, Hridhaan Pawar, and Tathagat Eleswarapu were scouted in the 2023-24 trials, signed for the U13s, and promoted to the U15s this season (2024-25). Viraj Arora joined the U15s in 2023-24 as one of the younger players, while Rian Uniyal and Ranvir Chona were scouted through local leagues and signed for the 2024-25 season. All are homegrown players developed through the club’s system.

Mumbai City have created a professional environment for their academy players to grow with certified coaching staff, modern equipment, and structured training regimes that focus on both individual skill and team development. The club ensures that each player is trained in technical, tactical, physical, and psychological aspects of the game.

–IANS

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