How can we uplift an underprivileged community? One of the easiest ways would be to invest in the all-round development of the children of the community so they can dream and achieve big. Priya Nadkarni and Digvijay, a determined couple, decided to do the same and started the Mrida Education and Welfare Society in Mohgaon located in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh. The village, predominantly home to tribal people, has been their focus of work for the past eight years. We, Team Athletic India, however, were more interested in knowing about their football academy, known as Narmada Valley Football Academy.
“We started as a normal school. We found that the children of the village don’t have access to quality education and the dropout rates were high. The children were anemic and had less self-esteem. We wanted to provide a platform for the complete development of the kids and that’s how everything started”, said Digvijay.
The founders planned to engage the children in sports in addition to formal education. “We wanted to do something different, something contextual,” Digvijay continued. In the 1990s, football was a popular sport among the tribal community. However, cricket has overtaken football in terms of popularity. The NGO decided to invest in football and started its residential academy in 2017.
The early days were challenging. One of the friends of Digvijay, Kailash Raj, who is a football enthusiast from Nepal, provided his helping hand and provided coaching for the players. He had played football and basketball at various levels in Nepal in the junior category before he took academics more seriously. Since his joining, he is the one who runs the football operations of Narmada Valley Football Academy.
“We were very sure that, before any physical coaching, the technical part of the game was more important. The physical aspect could be worked on at any time, though it was never undermined with proper nutritional intake. But the focus was always on technical correctness. How to touch the ball, how many touches a player is getting—these were frequent concerns in the technical meetings that followed those two years. This football became a passion on campus. Children were not just learning footballing skills; they were becoming football-crazy. The coaches would sit with them every weekend to watch European football, followed by discussions, favorite heroes, and, most importantly, dreams being made,” he sounded optimistic.
The academy relied on local senior players to provide coaching along with Kailash. Today, the academy has six AIFF D License holders including four male and two female coaches.
“As of now, we don’t have a proper field to practice. The pitch, converted from agricultural land, is not suitable to play in the rainy season. We have the plan to acquire land and make a proper training ground.”
As the saying goes, difficulties create a strong mentality. Over 40 players from this academy have represented Madhya Pradesh at the national level in various age categories. The domination in the girls category is such that the Narmada Valley teams are the state champions in all age categories. Wherever NVFC players played, irrespective of the results, the spectators appreciated the style of play.
“With the help of Reliance, we organise the U10 league every year in which teams from 45 villages participate. We named it after the former King of the region Raja Hriday Shah. Last season, over 350 matches were organised in the Raja Hriday Shah League and this year we want to expand it to the U14 category as well. Our player scouting primarily happens via these tournaments.”
As far as football operations are concerned, Madhya Pradesh is one of the poorest-performing state associations. There are hardly any proper football stadiums in the state, and players have to leave the state to progress in their careers.
“We want our players to excel. One of our players, Pramod Kumar, has played for the Mohun Bagan U17 team and the United SC youth team. One of our girls would have played for the Gokulam Kerala FC side if not for an anterior cruciate ligament injury. We hope the current set of players will secure contracts with top clubs and inspire more children to follow their path. We even have a plan to launch our own IWL club.”
Last year, the women’s team played in the Delhi second division league for Delhi United FC and won the league, securing a promotion to the first division. In the upcoming season, they will compete in the first division.
Beyond football, Narmada Valley FA has had a profound impact on the lives of its players. It has instilled confidence, discipline, and a sense of purpose in these young individuals. In an area where families’ annual income is just 30,000 INR, this initiative opens an opportunity to pave the way toward a better future. Mrida’s journey is a testament to the power of sports to transform lives. As they continue to strive for excellence, Mrida’s legacy is sure to inspire generations to come.
Achievements of Mrida Education and Welfare Society & Narmada Valley Football Academy
FOOTBALL:
- Girls have won the sub-junior National Football Championship for MP in 2024-25 (10 out of 11 girls were in the Playing 11)
- Girls were runners-up at the Khelo India U17 league in Delhi in 2023-24
- Girls were runners-up at the Senior Women’s Championship in Delhi last year, qualifying for Delhi Premier League in 2024-25
- Girls have qualified for Subroto Cup from MP for 3 years in a row
- Girls have won the inter-district junior girls football championship in 2024-25
ACADEMICS, HEALTH AND PROGRAMMING:
- 100% results at Class 5 and 8 board exams, 93% at Class 10
- Several toppers at Class 10th and 12th
- Anemia-free residential campus
- Students also code at a high level, having won the Code to Enhance Learning hackathon for 3 consecutive years.
