About the Karuna Football Foundation

The Karuna Football Foundation is a not-for-profit organization in Goa India that is specifically focused on supporting talented young footballers from the underprivileged and marginalised communities to develop into professional footballers in a systematic and scientific manner. Karuna is an Indian word in the Hindi language meaning Compassion.

Set up in February 2014, the foundation was formed originally under the JP2F4S-Goa to provide opportunities for those boys and girls from the orphanages and shelter homes to an organized support towards sports in general so as to identify budding young footballers from Goa who could some day represent India as national players.

In order to complement the growth of exceptionally talented youngsters, the foundation also actively supports various coaches development programs and projects related to development of football infrastructure by collaborating with the Goa Football Association and the All India Football Federation.

The foundation works closely with the GFA and other state government Football and Sports Departments as well as with several child-centered NGOs in order to fulfill its multiple objectives.

What We Do

Promoting the game of football through trainings and tournaments.

The first step towards the development of the sport in general is to generate interest among the youth towards the beautiful game of football. We organize to bring the young people to tournaments and leagues across Goa to engage them in systematic and scientific training to participate in the world’s most played sport and thereafter fall in deep love for the game.

Talent Identification through scouting initiatives including camps and tournaments.

Through strategic collaboration with schools, communities, NGO partnerships and through an extended network of scouts the Karuna Football Foundation aims to bring together the best talent from different parts of India in general and Goa in particular.

Talent Incubations

Scholarship Programs & Technical Knowhow

The Karuna Football Foundation is working towards achieving holistic football development for a sustainable talent incubation model. The foundation aims to achieve this through strategic corporate and government partnerships, developing young human capital into world class football coaches and nurturing talented players so they can get the chance to become national and international players.

Our Philosophy

Our program is established on the philosophy of “Excellence to all” and the team of the foundation wishes to maintain the highest degree of accountability and credibility.

The impact of our programs is visible from the achievements of our players in the short period of our inception.

We provide our performance reports to all those who contribute towards the foundation as we maintain accountability standards. We would appreciate anyone to speak to us if interested in making any contribution by dropping us an email at karunafootballfoundation@gmail.com and we will be happy to answer to you!

The beginning of the foundation

Kennedy D’silva, who is the director of the foundation, has attended several leadership trainings including a Sports Leadership School in 2007 in South Africa. This has helped him to initiate a Life Skills Coaching Program. Kennedy’s primary focus has been on addressing the global problem of fatherlessness. In doing so he started the movement known as Karuna Football and has therefore been working with the underprivileged and marginalised communities, especially the economicly weaker section in the slums, streets and orphanages in India.

He is a national speaker, trainer & strategist. Kennedy believes that leaders determine success and that the right values ensure the future.

The foundation helps coaches to implement life skills coaching through soccer teams in schools, colleges, communities and religious organisations across India. Into a new era during the past 5 years a paradigm shift has begun to occur particularly in Goa and has seen it as a mission field.