Madhya Pradesh Premier League returns for 7th season — MPFA names India Khelo Football as Official Grassroots Development Partner

Madhya Pradesh Premier League returns for 7th season — MPFA names India Khelo Football as Official Grassroots Development Partner

The Madhya Pradesh Football Association today announced the 7th season of the Madhya Pradesh Premier League, the state’s top-tier football competition, alongside a partnership with India Khelo Football to build a talent pathway from Madhya Pradesh’s 55 districts into the league.

MPFA has appointed India Khelo Football as its Official Grassroots Development Partner for the state.

Madhya Pradesh has over 11,000 registered footballers and more than 500 affiliated clubs across 54 district associations. The gap has never been talent. It has been the route from a district ground to a professional trial.

That route is what the partnership will build. India Khelo Football will run grassroots programmes and talent identification across the state, feeding players toward MPPL clubs and beyond. The organisation will also bring Project Naari Shakti, its girls-exclusive football programme, to Madhya Pradesh, and extend IKF Pathway 360 — a career pathway for the ninety-nine percent of young footballers who will not turn professional, but who can still build a life inside the game as coaches, referees, physios, and administrators.

India Khelo Football has worked with over 50,000 players across 135 cities and villages in five years, reaching border towns, tribal belts, Naxal-affected regions, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Seven programmes have already run in Madhya Pradesh.

Mr. Amit Ranjan Deb, Hony Secretary, Madhya Pradesh Football Association, said:
“The Madhya Pradesh Premier League has given our state a competitive stage for six seasons. What we have needed is a stronger pipeline into it. India Khelo Football brings a proven grassroots record and a philosophy that matches ours — every district, not just the big cities. MPFA welcomes them as our Official Grassroots Development Partner and asks all our district associations and clubs to work with them.”

Phani Bhushan, Founder, India Khelo Football, said:
“Madhya Pradesh has eleven thousand registered players and eight approved grounds. That arithmetic tells you everything — the problem was never the player, it was the pathway. MPFA has built the stage. Our work is to make sure the boy in Chhindwara and the girl in Rewa can find their way onto it. Football is our entry point. What we are really building is a career, and a life, inside the game.”

The 7th Madhya Pradesh Premier League season begins 26-September 2026.

Media contact:
MPFA contact — Col. Goutam Kar, 9871174117, mpfa@the-aiff.com
IKF contact — Nirja Shekhawat, 8551960669, nirja@indiakhelofootball.com

India Khelo Football is a pan-India grassroots football development organisation working across 135+ cities and villages since 2020. Fully Schedule VII CSR compliant across education, health, gender equity, livelihood, and sports development.

IKF Brand Ambassador Anaya Sehgal Raises ₹1.66 Lakh Through “Anaya Goal 2025”, Returns for Third Consecutive Season to Empower Young Girls Through Football

IKF Brand Ambassador Anaya Sehgal Raises ₹1.66 Lakh Through “Anaya Goal 2025”, Returns for Third Consecutive Season to Empower Young Girls Through Football

India Khelo Football (IKF) proudly announces that its Brand Ambassador, Anaya Sehgal (17), has successfully raised ₹1.66 lakh through the “Anaya Goal 2025” initiative, recording a 66% increase over the funds raised during the inaugural campaign in 2024.

Launched in 2024, Anaya Goal is a unique player-led fundraising initiative where Anaya pledges to convert every goal she scores into an opportunity for a young girl to play football. During the 2025 season, Anaya represented Lion City Sailors in the Singapore Women’s Premier League (WPL) while also playing for her High School Varsity team. Across both competitions, she scored 16 goals, inspiring supporters to contribute towards her mission.

The funds raised will be utilised by India Khelo Football to support the journey of girls who dream of playing football but are held back by financial constraints. Through IKF’s grassroots network across India, the support will directly reach aspiring young girls in underserved communities and for them to showcase their talent to professional clubs and academies in India.

Speaking about the initiative, Anaya Sehgal said:

“Football has given me confidence, friendships and opportunities that have shaped who I am. Through Anaya Goal, I want every goal I score to help another girl begin her own football journey. Knowing that my performances on the pitch can create opportunities for someone else makes every goal even more meaningful.”

Since becoming an IKF Brand Ambassador in 2024, Anaya has championed girls’ participation in football and has used her own journey to encourage more young girls to pursue the sport regardless of their background.

Building on the success of the past two editions, Anaya Goal returns for the 2026 season. This year, Anaya will represent Albirex Jurong in the Singapore Women’s Premier League alongside her High School Varsity team, continuing her pledge to transform every goal into an opportunity for another girl to access the game.

As India Khelo Football continues its Project IKF Naari Shakti mission to increase girls’ participation in football across the country, initiatives like Anaya Goal demonstrate how athletes themselves can become catalysts for creating access, opportunity and hope for the next generation.

About India Khelo Football

India Khelo Football (IKF) is one of Asia’s largest grassroots football talent identification platforms, having assessed over 55,000 young footballers across 135+ cities and villages. Through its talent identification programmes, player development initiatives and Project IKF Naari Shakti, IKF is committed to ensuring that every aspiring footballer, regardless of gender or financial background, has an opportunity to be discovered and supported. (www.indiakhelofootball.com/Anaya-Goal)