288 schools to participate in Stairs School Football League

New Delhi, Aug 5: A total of 10,000 children from 288 schools will participate in the second season of Stairs School Football League (SSFL), organisers said here on Wednesday.

The league will commence on August 26 with the final to be played on November 27. The tournament is organised by NGO group Stairs. It is aimed at providing a platform to under-privileged kids to showcase their sporting talent.

Around 1000 schools registered for the second season of the league, of which, 288 were selected based on the criteria of participation, organisers said in a release.

A total of 32 all girls teams in two age groups of Under 14 and Under 17 will participate in the league.

The league intends to have a well organised youth development programme, through an organised championship format.

The organisers conducted a three month programme where around 400 children participated. A total of 10 teams (eight boys and two girls) were formed through the talent spotting programme, which will participate in this year's league.

"SSFL is an endeavour to pick up talent from the bottom of the pyramid and ensure his or her inclusive growth. We are happy to see almost 30% participation from government schools. We will ensure every deserving child gets this opportunity," Siddhartha Upadhyay of Stairs said in the release on Wednesday.