UDAIPUR (India CSR): Hindustan Zinc, the world’s largest integrated zinc producer, continues to strengthen Indian football’s talent pipeline through its flagship social impact initiative, Zinc Football Academy, with three senior players selected for the Rajasthan State Team for the 79th Senior Men’s National Football Championship, Santosh Trophy 2025–26.
Midfielder Suveen Swami and forward Mohammed Riyaz, both part of Zinc Football Academy’s inaugural batch in 2018, have earned state honours, exemplifying the Academy’s long-term vision of nurturing talent through sustained development, education, and competitive exposure.
Joining them is defender Vishal Kaloshiya, who joined Zinc Football Academy in 2024 and made an immediate impact. Vishal was a key contributor to the Academy’s senior team during their successful Rajasthan State League campaign, where Zinc Football Academy clinched the title for the second time, further underlining his rapid progression into senior-level football.
The trio’s selection marks a proud moment for Hindustan Zinc and Zinc Football Academy, reinforcing the Academy’s structured pathway from grassroots training to elite state-level representation and beyond. Their inclusion in the Rajasthan squad reflects the effectiveness of Zinc Football’s holistic development model, which focuses on long-term player growth and competitive readiness.
Previously, ZFA graduates Aman Kan and Nishant Meena have represented Rajasthan in the coveted competition. The Santosh Trophy 2025–26, India’s premier senior domestic football championship, is scheduled to begin in December 2025, with the selected players set to represent Rajasthan on the national stage.
Since its inception in 2018, Zinc Football Academy has consistently produced players for India’s age-group teams, strengthening the nation’s talent pool. After Sahil Poonia, Mohammed Kaif, and Prem Hansdak already having donned the national colours, Suveen Swami, Mohammed Riyaz and Vishal Kaloshiya’s selection marks another proud milestone in the Academy’s continued commitment to contributing meaningfully to Indian Football’s growth story. Recently the company has launched India’s first residential football academy for girls with an inaugural batch of 20 girls from rural background.
Hindustan Zinc has supported sports for nearly four decades, starting with its football stadium at Zawar in 1976, which continues to host annual National Football Tournaments. Extending beyond football to athletics, kabaddi and volleyball, the company nurtures talent at the grassroots. Its Vedanta Zinc City Half Marathon has put Udaipur on the global running map, with sports initiatives impacting nearly 30,000 lives.
(India CSR)
