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WIFA will launch a mammoth talent hunt along with all the District Football Associations throughout the state and are assured of participation from more than 5000 teams in the first phase, targeting in excess of 50,000 players and through them reaching out to more than 50,000 families.
The all-encompassing Mahayudh will be a talent hunt with a difference, breaking all barriers. Participation will be free, with no limit to the number of school teams that can participate. Even players who are not a part of a school team or who are not in school, can come together to form their own teams and participate in the talent hunt. Mahayudh will be conducted in multiple areas in each district to facilitate ease of travel for the players.
Mahayudh will be conducted from December 2012 to February 2013 and would target multiple locations in 30 districts.
The talent hunt will first entail an Intra-District (knock out tournament in the 7 vs 7 format) and will be played in four age categories, namely boys under-14, under-16 and under-18 and girls under-16. While the winning teams would be awarded handsomely, talent scouts would be present at all matches to choose the best players who would represent their districts in the respective age categories after a 7 to 10 day camp.
The District teams in the four age categories would then participate in an Inter-District tournament played on a league format, from which the best players would be chosen by the scouts to represent their regions, again after a 7 to 10 day camp.
The talent hunt will conclude with an Inter-Region League involving the six Regional teams representing Vidarbha Amravati Division, Vidarbha Nagpur Division, Marathwada, Konkan, Desh and Khandesh. The winners of this league would be crowned Maharashtra Champions!
The inter-district and inter region format at the top tiers of the competition have been formulated with the idea of generating a sense of pride towards representing district, region and the state in the hearts of the players and community and also to nurture healthy football rivalry amongst surrounding districts.
While there would be attractive cash prizes and trophies for the winners and runner-up teams of the Intra-District, Inter-District and Inter-Regional tournaments, besides individual prizes, there would also be kitting provided for the district teams and the Region teams in each age category.
The talent hunt would involve the District Football Associations, the Sports Ministry, the DSOs as well as I-League clubs.
The Mahayudh would also help in the development of the District Football Associations by helping them improve their administration capabilities as well as their marketing capabilities, as they would be urged to seek sponsorship packages for their district level events.
