New Delhi: The trials for season 2 of the TV9 Network’s News9 Indian Tigers and Tigresses football initiative continued with the Khel Mohatsav tournament, which is hosted nationwide by Orchids The International School.
After the huge success of Season 1, the groundbreaking campaign will see the scouting and selection of talented boys and girls across India, from the age groups of 12 to 14 and 15 to 17. The initiative will help the young football players to train with the best in the business and follow their dreams.
As the official school partner of the TV9 Network’s News9 Indian Tigers and Tigresses campaign, Orchids The International School is playing a key role in helping students realise their football dream through the structured and meticulous scouting process.
Eight branches of Orchids The International School from across the Delhi-NCR region kick-started the trials in Sector-19, Dwarka. More than 500 students participated to showcase their passion and talent for football.
The tournament was attended by distinguished guests like Sumitra Goswami – Zonal Business Head (Sector-19 Dwarka), Sumit Kumar – Academic Sports Manager (North Zone), and Mohammad Salah – Football Head (North Zone).
Sumitra Goswami – Zonal Business Head, OIC, Sec-19 Dwarka said: “I would like to thank TV9 for giving this great opportunity to the students across the state and the nation to showcase their talents and come up in their entire sporting spirit. This is the biggest opportunity that Orchids International Schools, Dwarka 19, has grabbed to bring forth and to host this event and bring the community together and showcase their sportsmanship, their team spirit, and all their perseverance with excellence.”
East to West: Hunt for the best!
Following the Dwarka campus trials, the action moved to Orchids, The International School, Rohtak. As many as 250 players from eight Delhi-NCR branches participated in the trials and showcased their skills and talent.
Usha Chauhan, Principal, OIS Rohtak, said: “I’m really happy for this wonderful initiative taken by TV9 Network. My best wishes for the season two participants of the News9 Tiger and Tigresses event.”
In Bengal, the trials were conducted at the Orchids The International School, New Town, Kolkata. A total of 3 branches – OIS New Town (host Branch), OIS Madhyamgram OIS Joka – from the Kolkata Zone participated in the tournament. Each school fielded two teams (Boys and Girls categories) across multiple age groups, with over 250 kids featuring in the event.
Priyanka Ghosh, Vice-Principal, OIS New Town, said: “At Orchids, we believe in holistic development. Sports are an integral part of education, and tournaments like Khel Mahotsav encourage students to aim higher, on and off the field.”
The hunt for India’s next football superstar continued in Rajasthan as the Khel Mahotsav Football tournament was successfully held at the OIS Nevta branch in Jaipur, bringing together 102 young footballers at the big stage. The event was a celebration of strategy, patience, and sportsmanship.
Geeta Thakur, Principal, OIS Nevta, Jaipur, said: “TV9 Network’s News9 Indian Tigers and Tigresses is the world’s largest football talent hunt. It provides a wonderful platform for the young boys and girls to showcase their talent. I congratulate and give my best wishes to all the participants of the Indian Tigers and Tigresses.”
From Jaipur, the football caravan travelled to Jodhpur at the Orchids Central School of Excellence, Banar. As many as 586 participants from six branches – OCSE CHB. OCSE PAL, OCSE Banar Cantt, OCSE Saran Nagar, OCSE NHB Pali, OCSE Kudi – from the region participated in the Jodhpur leg of trials.
The landmark talent hunt programme moved to the West, to the Maharashtra leg, to identify tomorrow’s brightest football prospects. The tournament was conducted in two branches – Orchid, The International School, Thane, and See Woods Orchids, Navi Mumbai. The talent hunt attracted a huge turnout of aspiring players from all across Maharashtra. Young footballers gave their absolute best, hoping to impress the professional coaches and scouts.
Sangeeta Gajbhare, Principal, OIC, Kolshet, Thane, said: “I’m so happy and proud to host an event of this magnitude, which will select the kids for an international-level training programme. TV9 Network’s News9 Tiger and Tigresses initiative will help the youngsters to reach the next level. Last year, they did Pan India trials, and the kids travelled to Austria to learn and play. This year, the selected kids will go to Germany, courtesy of TV9 Network’s initiative.”
Binny Ahluwalia, Senior Principal, Seawoods Orchids, said: “I would extend my heartfelt thank you to TV9 for taking such a beautiful initiative for selecting children and for giving them such a lovely platform to showcase their talents.”
Khel Mahotsav, an OIS initiative, is a celebration of teamwork, energy, and school spirit. The coordination between branches made the event a great success.
A German dream, made in India
The top performers from the school tournaments across India will be selected for the News9 Indian Tigers and Tigresses Season 2 Finale. Ultimately, 30 boys and girls will be chosen from the tournaments and felicitated in Germany and will get a chance to train with top coaches, gain valuable international experience, and access world-class facilities.
In season 1 of the TV9 Network’s News9 Indian Tigers and Tigresses, 12 girls and 16 boys, with three Indian coaches, visited Austria and Germany after months of tough trials and a nationwide hunt for talented young football players.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the selected players a historic send-off at the ‘What India Thinks Today 2025’ (WITT 2025) Global Summit in New Delhi. After the successful European visit, the young footballers were welcomed home by Honourable Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Austrian Ambassador to India, Katharina Wieser, at the Austrian Embassy.