Jamshedpur, Aug 14 (IANS) Tata Steel has agreed to transfer its equity shares in ‘Jamshedpur Football & Sporting Private Limited’ (JFSPL), the company that owns the Indian Super League club Jamshedpur FC, to Goa’s Churchill Brothers Football Club for a token consideration to ensure continuity for JFC players and coaching staff.
As part of the transaction, which was made in accordance with All India Football Federation (AIFF) regulations, the club’s “ISL sporting licence, 12 players and two coaches” will also be transferred to Churchill Brothers.
“Tata Steel Limited and Churchill Brothers Football Club signed an agreement to this effect today. Churchill Brothers will take over the contracts of all JFC players and coaching staff with effect from September 2026, offering them the opportunity to continue their professional football careers in the ISL. Churchill Brothers carries close to four decades of footballing legacy in Goa, with two I-League titles and a strong record in Indian domestic football,” Tata Steel stated in a release.
The transfer brings an end to Tata Steel’s direct ownership of Jamshedpur FC, which has been a prominent part of the company’s sporting ecosystem in Jharkhand.
D. B. Sundara Ramam, vice president, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, said, “Churchill Brothers is a club with real history in Indian football, and we are glad that this agreement gives our players and coaches the opportunity to continue playing club football. We thank AIFF and Churchill Brothers for their partnership in making this transition a smooth one.”
The company said it will continue to focus on football at the grassroots and youth level, given our legacy of identifying and nurturing young talent, especially among local and tribal communities, which includes the Tata Football Academy.
The Tata Football Academy was established in 1987 at Jamshedpur and has trained over 300 cadets, 150 of whom have represented the Indian National team. The majority of the Jharkhand boys U-14 and U-16 teams have come through Tata Steel Foundation football training centres, which work with tribal communities.
“We will continue to maintain and enhance our sporting infrastructure – repurposing it for grassroots football and athlete development. We will be modernising our youth system, investing in and further building its capability in collaboration with the AIFF,” Ramam added.
–IANS
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