Whenever a reference to Indian soccer comes up, we are reminded of the legendary soccer clubs of Kolkatta, Mohammedan Sporting Club, East Bengal Club and Mohun Bagan Athletic Club. In fact soccer in India is identified with these  soccer teams of Kolkata.

The soccer lovers of Delhi and NCR have reason to rejoice at the news of the establishement of Amity United Football Club in the idyllic backdrop of the lush green Aravali mountain ranges.

Amity United incidentally rings in the name of Manchester United with which   the legendary David Robert Joseph Beckham signed his   contract when he started his career in football.

Amity United is a part of the 110- acre Amity Education Valley in Manesar. The club has come up in an environment which surpasses even that of the Mohun Bagan or the East Begal club.

The club has a residential campus. It has a decent football turf that includes a practice ground, a fully insured team, a youth squad and other basic facilities. Amity United is one of the few Indian soccer clubs that strictly adheres to the Asian Football Confederation’s pro club licensing rules.

The club may not as yet boast of the pedigree of some of the best players, but its effort to tap the football talent through a development program in these areas is laudable.

 “Today, while Indian football is trying to shed its quasi-professional attitude, Amity United can qualify as a role model for clubs who want to change their amateurish set-ups. Besides coaching and training, we also provide educational support to the players to secure their future. They deserve every facility and opportunity,” said Aseem K Chauhan, the CEO of the club.

Even national coach Bob Houghton’s philosophy of ‘tough and taller boys’ is being adhered to at Amity United. “We send our players to AIIMS for strength and muscular testing,” he explained.

Players from far off places like Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Bengal who have honed their skills in Kolkata have been drafted in to make Amity United into a team to reckon with.