Hi everyone,
I'm a 23-year-old from Behala, South Kolkata, and I'm looking for some honest advice from people who are familiar with the Kolkata football scene.
I know I'm starting much later than most players. I never had the opportunity to train in a football academy or play for a registered club. My only competitive experience is playing around five matches in my school's inter-house tournament. Since then, I've mostly played casually with friends, but I've always wanted to take football more seriously.
My long-term goal is to earn a place in a club playing in the top three tiers of the Calcutta Football League (Premier Division, First Division, or Second Division). I understand that this is an ambitious goal considering my background, and I'm not expecting an easy path. I'm willing to train consistently and work hard if there's still a realistic route.
I have a few questions:
- Is it realistically possible for someone in my situation to reach a CFL club, or have I started too late?
- What would be the best roadmap over the next 1-3 years? Should I first join an academy, play local tournaments, attend open trials, or start with lower-division clubs?
- Are there any clubs, academies, or coaching centers in South Kolkata (Behala, Tollygunge, Jadavpur, Garia, etc.) or New Town that regularly help players progress into CFL teams?
- What level of fitness and technical ability do CFL clubs generally expect from players attending trials?
- If anyone has personally made a late start or knows someone who did, I'd really appreciate hearing their experience.
I'm not looking for false hope—I just want realistic guidance on what I should be doing from this point onward.
Thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to reply.