Two new football academies for boys and girls will be opened in Thimphu and Gelegphu by next year. The Bhutan Football Federation (BFF) says the introduction of such independent schools is expected to further develop football and produce quality players in the country.
Works to construct the first ever football academy began last year, after the approval from the education ministry.
The boys’ school will be constructed right next to the Changjiji Football Academy and for girls, it will be constructed in Shetikhari, Gelegphu.
“The main idea behind the project is for our players to have more playing time. It is very important as most of them are not getting enough time to play in schools. But once we have our own football schools, the first session in the mornings will be academic sessions and in the afternoon it will be training sessions,” Phuntsho Wangdi, the Head of Commercial and Communication of BFF, said.
The intake capacity for each school will be 50.The school will follow the same syllabus and curriculum as other schools.
“We are in process of recruiting teachers but first of all, we are waiting for the appointment of an academic head which will be like a principal for the school. The schools will also follow directives from the education ministry and since it is approved by them, we will not compromise on the academics session too,” Phuntsho Wangdi said.
For now, the BFF plans to complete the construction on time and start off with the academic lessons by March next year.
The whole concept of separate schools for football academy players came up keeping in mind the obligations and the restrictions from various schools.
However, with the introduction, such schools students can now invest extra time in football and perform better in both domestic and international games.
