SkaSports Investments Private Limited, a fully Indian-owned organisation focusing on sports-related businesses, and the Cambodian Premier League team Angkor Tiger Football Club plan to identify promising young Indian footballers for player development in Cambodia.
SkaSports took a minority stake in Angkor Tiger FC earlier this year, and club representatives were in the city to discuss the talent-scouting programme.
Akihiro Kato, president of Angkor Tiger FC, said, “With SkaSports, we want to identify Indian players, especially the young ones, to join our team, develop their game, and return as better players. I also have networks in the Japanese leagues, and we want to connect India, Japan and Cambodia through football.”
The club is building an AFC-compliant stadium in Siem Reap that will be ready by the middle of next year. “The stadium is part of a sports township that we are developing. Through our Indian partners, SkaSports, we also want to invite the Indian national team to play the inaugural match against Cambodia next year,” added Kato.
Sudhir Menon, director of SkaSports, added, “The club’s coach is Japanese, and we also want to explore ways to help our Indian coaches, trainers, physios, and video analysts travel to learn from the Japanese coaches.”
Meanwhile, Rohit Ramesh, director of SkaSports, said, “The standard of the Cambodian Premier League is similar to that of the I-League. But the style of play is very different. Our players are more physical there, and the game is more technical and fast-paced with quick passes. We are looking at players between 18 and 21 and believe it will be good for them to travel abroad and learn.”
