Real Kashmir, champions of the I-League second division, will be travelling to Germany for a training stint at the Borussia Dortmund academy.
RKFC owners Sandeep Chattoo and Shamim Meraj say they are just “carrying on from where we left” last season.
“We were the first team from Kashmir to play in Scotland. We are now the first youth team from Kashmir to visit Germany for a training camp,” the club said in a statement.
Having dribbled past opponents and many off-the-pitch obstructions to become Jammu and Kashmir’s first football team in the I-League, Real Kashmir FC owner indicated that a lot of changes were in the offing.
“It’s just the beginning,” Chattoo put it appropriately.
“We want Real Kashmir to be what Barcelona is to Spain and what United is to Manchester and what BVB is to (the) city of Dortmund. We want every kid of the state who loves to play football either aspire to play for RKFC or become a supporter by default.”
There is a belief among the club’s stakeholders that its success, in what was an extraordinary season, would bring a positive change to the state.
“We also want to thank Borussia Dortmund for giving a small club like RKFC an opportunity to visit them and train at their football school. The boys will also visit the Signal Iduna Park as well as the German Football Museum,” the club said.
The Srinagar-based side became the first club from Kashmir to win the second division and qualify for the I-League by defeating Delhi’s Hindustan FC 3-2 in Bengaluru. Real Kashmir, founded in 2015, started life in the local league and achieved promotion at the second time of asking.
Srinagar’s TRC Stadium though might not be ready by the time that the I-League is set to kick-off and this may result in the team shifting its base to New Delhi.
“We want to change the whole scenario, we want to bring a football revolution in Kashmir. We have opened the way. We want to make this paradise on Earth a paradise for football,” a delighted Chattoo had said after the triumph.
(With inputs from PTI)
