SFA Strengthens National Footprint with AIFF Three-Star Accreditation
- Striker Shiva Kumar Receives Call Up for U-15 National Team Trials
Reinforcing its position as one of Goa & India’s leading football development institutions, Sesa Football Academy (SFA), the flagship CSR initiative of Vedanta Iron And Steel Limited (VISL), has achieved two significant milestones. The Academy has been awarded the prestigious AIFF Three-Star Academy Accreditation for 2026–27 for the second time, while academy striker Shiva Kumar earned a call-up for the India U-15 Boys National Team trials, reaffirming SFA’s continued contribution to Indian football.
Awarded by the All-India Football Federation (AIFF), the Three-Star Accreditation recognises academies that consistently meet and exceed national benchmarks across player development, coaching, infrastructure, governance and football operations. The recognition reflects SFA’s holistic football development ecosystem, encompassing dedicated pathways for boys, men, girls and women’s football, sustained investment in talent development and active support for the broader football community.
Commenting on the achievement, Mr. Pankaj Kumar Sharma, CEO – Vedanta Iron And Steel Limited, said: “At Vedanta Iron and Steel Limited, we believe that sport has the power to inspire, transform and create opportunities for young people. As our flagship CSR initiative, Sesa Football Academy has been nurturing footballing talent for over 27 years, creating opportunities for the youth of Goa and contributing to Indian football. Being recognised with the AIFF Three-Star Academy Accreditation for the second time, is a proud milestone that reflects SFA’s commitment to excellence. It inspires us to continue creating opportunities to strengthen Goan & Indian football by empowering the next generation of talent.”
In another development, Shiva Kumar was selected by the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) for the India U-15 Boys National Team trials, being conducted as part of the preparations for the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026, testifying to SFA’s strong development credentials. Shiva has previously been selected for the AIFF FIFA Talent Academy (U-15) in 2025, underscoring his consistent growth and potential on the national stage. Expressing his thoughts Shiva Kumar said, “I am extremely happy and grateful to have received this opportunity to attend the India U-15 National Team trials. I sincerely thank Sesa Football Academy and all my coaches for believing in me, guiding me and helping me improve every day.”
Established in 1999, Sesa Football Academy has been instrumental in identifying and nurturing footballing talent from Goa and across India, with 14 players from the Academy having represented country internationally. Over the past year, SFA teams participated in 188 competitive matches, while the SFA hosted 113 matches at its Sirsaim ground, further strengthening the competitive football ecosystem in Goa. The Academy continues to create a strong pipeline of players for professional clubs and national teams, reinforcing Vedanta Iron And Steel Limited’s commitment to bridging the gap between aspirations & opportunity.
About Vedanta Cares
Vedanta is committed to reinvest in the social good of its neighbourhood communities and the nation. The Group’s flagship CSR project, Nand Ghar, is a network of model anganwadis where the thrust is on inclusive development of women and children at the grassroots level. The Group CSR initiative comprises of seven key verticals – Education, Healthcare, Water and Sanitation, Sustainable Livelihood, Skilling, Sports & Culture and Employee Volunteering. Vedanta Foundation, a philanthropic initiative of Vedanta Group is focused on skill development and vocational training programmes for the underprivileged to make them employable. A key healthcare speciality CSR project is the Balco Medical Center, a 200-bed state-of-the-art Cancer care hospital located in New Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The company supports grassroots level sports through their Football academies in Goa and Udaipur.
About Vedanta Limited
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa, Namibia, and Australia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing to India’s growth story, currently contributing 1 percent of India’s GDP. The company is among the top private sector contributors to the exchequer with the highest ever contribution of INR 42,560 Crore in FY 2019. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment and on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company has been conferred the CII-ITC Sustainability Award, the FICCI CSR Award, Dun & Bradstreet Awards in Metals & Mining, and certified as a Great Place to Work. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
About SESA Football Academy
An initiative of SESA Community Development Foundation (SCDF), SESA Football Academy (SFA) was founded in 1999 for the holistic development of the local youths through football. The academy has created the conditions for discovering, creating and building talent for football. SFA does not restrict itself to football trainings but involves in a long term residential program which takes care of the formal education, skill development of the trainees during the four-year training period.
The academy has a strong focus on women empowerment through football. Since inception, SFA has trained around 200 footballers and has made tremendous impact on the football fraternity in Goa as well as across India. The graduates from SFA are serving in the national teams, Indian Super League (ISL), I-League clubs of India and clubs in Goa. 7 players have earned the national team cap and several players played the elite ISL.