Jamshedpur: The Tata Football Academy (TFA) held its 16th Convocation Ceremony at the Kudy Mahanty Auditorium, Kadma on Monday, marking the graduation of 15 cadets from its residential program.
D.B. Sundara Ramam, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel graced the occasion as the Chief Guest, while Clifford Miranda, former TFA graduate, Indian International player and Head Coach of Chennaiyin FC was the Guest of Honour.
Sharing his memories and motivating the graduating batch, Clifford Miranda said:“TFA not just shaped me as a football player but it also shaped my character, and I learned the way of life which made me who I am now. You walked into TFA as boys and now you are leaving as men, so work hard, be disciplined and humble but wherever you go, remember your roots.”
Mukul Chaudhari, Chief of Sports, Tata Steel, emphasized TFA’s enduring legacy and impact on Indian football. He stated, “With 301 cadets trained so far, more than 150 have gone on to represent India at various levels, with 24 captaining the national team. Additionally, 58% of our cadets have been drafted into the Indian Super League (ISL) since its inception. TFA continues to be one of the best in the country for developing local talent and fostering grassroots initiatives.”
The prestigious Best Gentleman Cadet award was presented to Alvin Eshaan Khyriem for his exemplary discipline and conduct throughout his tenure. Ghulam Rabbani, General Secretary, Jharkhand Football Association and President, Tata Workers’ Union Sanjeev Choudhary was also present on the occasion along with senior officials of Tata Steel and TFA.
A total of 15 cadets from 6 states graduated this year. One cadet from the batch has represented the Indian National U-17 Team.The batch has had a remarkable final year: Winners of the JSW Youth Cup 2023, Semi-finalists of the Reliance Foundation Development League 2024-25, Lawmsangzuala was awarded the Golden Boot with 16 goals in the Reliance Foundation Development League 2024-25.Lawmsangzuala, Alvin, Rashithoi, Sachin & Rayan made their debut in the IndianOil Durand Cup 2026. Lawmsangzuala went on to score a hat-trick in the Durand Cup 2026 at Ranchi.
List of Graduating Cadets (Batch of 2026):
Goalkeeper: Ritabrata Sarkar
Defenders: Ayangsana Meitei, Ronaldo Singh, Vikram Madri, Satyajit Das, Soumik Das, Devjit Majumdar
Midfielders: Rashithoi Meetei, Lawmsangzuala, Rayan C, Alvin Eshaan Khyriem
Forwards: Gopal Munda, Heeranganba Seram, Krishna Tudu & Sachin Singh
