User:ArsenalFan700/Youth Football in India

Football is India's second most popular sport. Professionally, the game has two top divisions and one second division league, while also having various cup competitions. Youth football in India has been developing in recent years with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) introducing national youth leagues such as the I-League U18 and mandating national league teams to have a youth set-up.

As well as the I-League U18, the AIFF also operates a league at the under-15 and under-13 levels. The AIFF also sends national youth sides to various AFC youth tournaments. The national federation is also the operator of the Indian Arrows, a youth development side comprised of the best India under-17 players and select under-19 players that competes professionally in the I-League.

In 2017, India hosted the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The tournament marked the first FIFA tournament India has ever hosted, as well as the first time an Indian team has played in a FIFA tournament at any level.

Under-23
The India national under-23 football team represents India in international under-23 football and is controlled by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Currently a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) the team can compete in three competitions: the Olympic Games, the AFC U-23 Championship, and the Asian Games.

The under-23 side participated in their first ever tournament during the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea. They were put into a group with China, Turkmenistan, and Bangladesh. Their first match was against Bangladesh. India won 3–0 through a brace from future senior captain Baichung Bhutia and a strike from Renedy Singh. India played their second match two days later against Turkmenistan. They won 3–1. Bhutia again scored a brace while Abhishek Yadav scored the third goal as India ran out 3–1 winners. Unfortunately, in their final match against China, India could not find the net as they fell 2–0 and thus were knocked-out of the Asian Games.

Since then under-23 side has participated in 2006 Asian Games, 2010 Asian Games, and 2014 Asian Games without significant success. Since only allowing under-23 sides to compete in the Olympic Games in 1992, India have never qualified for the summer games. The under-23 side have also never participated in the AFC U-23 Championship while at best only making it to the round of 16 in the Asian Games.

Under-20
The India national Under-20 football team, also known as India Under-20s or India U20(s), represents India at all under-20 football tournaments. They are one of the feeder teams for the India national under-23 football team and the senior India national football team.

This team is for Indian players aged under 19 at the start of the calendar year in which a two-year AFC U-19 Championship campaign begins, and as such, some players can remain with the squad until the age of 21. As long as they are eligible, players can play for India at any level, making it possible to play for the U19s first, then the senior side, and again back to playing for the U19s. It is also possible to play for one country at youth level and another at senior level (provided the player is eligible).

India did not participate in the first 12 (1959-1970) Asian Under-19 Football Championships. In 1971, the All India Football Federation decided to send a youth squad to the Asian Championships in Japan where the team managed to make it to the quarter-finals before losing out to Japan. They participated in the championships again in 1972, this time in Thailand where they were eliminated in the group stage. In 1973 in Iran, India were knocked-out in the semi-finals. India won the championship jointly with Iran in 1974 after the final ended 2-2 with AFC declaring it a victory for both teams. In 1975, they could not get past the group stage, while they finished in quarter-finals in 1976 and group stage in 1977 respectively. They did not enter the next three editions of the tournament.

India has qualified for the championship eight times since 1985 to 2011 out of thirteen tournaments. In 2008, the federation built up a self-sufficient training center at Goa where both the under-19 and the under-16 teams of India train. The under-19 team participated in the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship qualification games to be played at Tehran. India did not qualify for the main rounds as they finished 3rd in their qualifying group. The same result followed in 2014 while in 2016 they finished bottom of their group.

Youth League U18
The league was founded as the I-League U19 in 2011 which was to give youth teams of the I-League a national league to play in as at that time the I-League youth teams only played in state youth leagues. After changes over the years, the league is currently played as Under-18 tournament. AIFF Elite Academy has been the most successful team, winning the title three times.

Youth League U15
After winning the bid to host 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, AIFF started Under-15 league to discover the talent for the squad. . Minerva Academy won the inaugural edition in 2015–16. Minerva Punjab completed hat–trick by winning 2016–17 and 2017–18 editions also.

Winners

Youth League U13
In 2017, AIFF further started Under-13 league with the aim of "creating a robust football structure across the length and breadth of the country". 56 teams, including youth teams of Indian Super League and I-League clubs, from various parts of India participated in the inaugural edition in 2017–18.

Winners

Indian Arrows
AIFF formed AIFF XI, subsequently known as Pailan Arrows and Indian Arrows, with the main goal of nurturing young Indian football talents in the hope of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. After participating in three seasons of I-League, the project was disbanded in 2013. After the successful hosting of 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, the project was revived in 2017.

B.C. Roy Trophy
The BC Roy Trophy is a tournament for players under 19 years of age conducted by AIFF. The competition is held every year between the under-19 teams representing affiliated state federations of AIFF.

Sub–Junior National Football Championship
The Sub–Junior National Football Championship is a tournament for players under 16 years of age conducted by AIFF. The competition is held every year between the under-16 teams representing affiliated state federations of AIFF. The tournament was started in 1977 for boys under the age 15 years. The tournament was constituted at the Darjeeling meeting of the AIFF on June 12, 1976. AIFF donated the trophy in the memory of former President of Karnataka State Football Association, Mir Iqbal Hussain.

From the 2009–10 season onwards, the championship has been sponsored by Coca-Cola and was rechristened as the Coca Cola MIHT.

Subroto Cup
Subroto Cup is one of the famous inter-school football tournament in India, named after the Indian Air Force Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee. It started in 1960 and has been conducted every year annually since then. Subroto Cup is conducted by the Indian Air Force, with support from India's Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.