“Scout on Wheels” football road-show launched to uncover grassroots talent across AP

September 18, 2025 In a bid to tap into untapped athletic potential, the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department has teamed up with India Khelo Football (IKF) to launch a programme named “Tyger IKF Scout on Wheels”, which kicked off today. The initiative, part roadshow and part talent-hunt, will run over 45 days and criss-cross seven major cities and more than ten satellite towns across the state. The roadshow is designed not just for identifying promising young footballers, but also for promoting sports culture, community engagement, and youth development. Alongside trials and coaching clinics, there will be workshops for parents, sessions for girls in sports, and financial literacy training. The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) is spearheading the effort. They emphasise that sports tourism (hosting events, cultural exchanges) and local youth empowerment can go hand in hand. Key numbers: IKF aims to scout over 1,000 young players, engage more than 2,000 parents, and specifically empower at least 300 girls through targeted health and sports education. Registrations are open for players aged 11 to 17, and can be done through IKF’s site or via Andhra Pradesh Tourism’s social media. The roadshow is expected to visit cities including (but not limited to) Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, and Tirupati, as well as many smaller towns in between. Trials will happen in open grounds or local stadiums. Coaches from IKF, mentors, and sports administrators will be on the move throughout. The parent workshops are meant to help address common issues: lack of awareness of sports career options, fitness, nutrition, infrastructure, and gender equality in sports. The government’s role goes beyond simply funding and organizing: it sees sports as a lever for promoting tourism. By branding the roadshow under Andhra Pradesh Tourism, there’s a dual objective—highlight scenic, cultural, and urban districts of the state to visitors, while integrating sports into the travel narrative. For example, matches and tournaments organized under this programme may double up as tourist attractions, bringing spectators and visitors from nearby states. Impacts hoped for include discovering hidden talent (especially from rural and less-connected areas), providing exposure and coaching that many young players lack, encouraging gender inclusivity in sporting opportunities, and strengthening community support for youth sports. There’s also an implicit hope that some of the talent might go on to play at higher levels—district, state, national—and boost Andhra Pradesh’s profile in football. Challenges will include ensuring good infrastructure in satellite towns (good fields, equipment), handling logistics of a mobile programme, making sure trials are fair and transparent, and sustaining momentum after the roadshow ends. But Andhra Pradesh seems committed: “Scout on Wheels” is being framed as more than a one-off—it’s part of a bigger push to make sports, especially grassroots sports, accessible and attractive to young people, families, and communities.