Aran Hooda

Mission Statement: To inspire and uplift underprivileged children in Goa through football, by providing equipment, organizing training, and providing potential opportunities.

I am passionate about using football to inspire and empower underprivileged children in Goa. Goa is the footballing capital of India, and I am grateful to be able to help and train these talented children. Through our Ujala Hooda Foundation, I have been able to impart training, guidance, and opportunities to kids in Goa, fostering not just their skills but also their confidence and potential. My sole aim is to see every kid dream big, develop his or her talent, and share my happiness and passion of being able to play "the world's game."

Project Goa: Chapter 1

1. Creating the Ujala (Hooda) Foundation which is a non-profit organization and partnering with the Goa Police to find potential talented players around Goa.

2. Locating a sports brand in Goa to provide equipment and gathering high-tech equipment.

3. Lead football training for the Goa FC Police teams and identified key talents.

4. Event with the teams, heads of the Goa Police, where I gave mentorship and selected the young talented players.

1. Creating the Ujala (Hooda) Foundation and Partnering with the Goa Police

The Ujala (Hooda) Foundation is a non-profit organization which will be used to transfer equipment and gear to talented players across Goa. Aran also partnered with the Goa Police who have a program to identify young talent from remote and economically backward parts of Goa.

2. Locating a Local Sports Brand to buy Gear and High-Tech Equipment

I located the Adidas store in Panaji, Goa to get training gear provided to 6 players whom I selected, 3 from the U13 and 3 from the U15 team. The gear is selected to what many players cannot afford, and it was suggested by their coaches, it is as follows:

Boots * specialised for each persons' needs
Socks
Sports bag
Shin guards

Through the Ujala (Hooda) Foundation, we also provided high-tech reaction equipment to the Goa Police teams which use lights and sensors to improve players' reaction time and agility. This equipment is called Blazepod.

This is the Blazepod starter kit. It uses 4 pods which connect online through an app. This is revolutionary for Goan children as it provides accurate measurements on players' speed, agility, and reflexes.

3. Lead football training for the Goa FC Police teams and identified key talents.

With the support of Mr. Alok Kumar, Director General Police of Goa, I was able to lead training sessions where I mentored, observed, and identified young talent. In the training, I ran through drills which mimicked the top English clubs, to give them a taste of the European footballing ecosystem.

4. Event with the teams, heads of the Goa Police, where I gave mentorship and selected the young talented players.

Through my non-profit organization Ujala (Hooda) Foundation, I was also able to provide football training equipment and gear including reaction equipment, shoes, socks, shin pads, and bags to the Goa Police teams’ selected talented players. As a next step, he has plans for giving the selected players further training and chances with top Indian football academies. On December 2, 2025, I ran an event in collaboration with the Goa Police to recognize young talent, and presented letters entailing equipment and gear. Many top officials attended, including DGP (DIrector General Police) Goa Alok Kumar, DIGP Goa Ajay Sharma, SP Sports Sunita Sawant, DYSP Sports Shivram Vaigankar, and PI Sports Raia Naik.

0:00 - 3:52: Presenting letters to Selected Players

3:52 - 6:17: Speech

Link to Speech: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16Ulr21MPyK353Wd59VZaqmdY9rnIGbO7G1-F1wEezNc/edit?usp=sharing

Aran selecting Alister Fernandes of the U13 team as a talented player to give further opportunities.

Aran awarding the letter of selection to players Alister Fernandes (U13) and Terrence Paul Rebello (U15).

Aran receiving a gift of appreciation from DIGP Goa Ajay Sharma and Goa FC Police team player

Media

Aran Hooda

Project Goa: Chapter 1

1. Creating the Ujala (Hooda) Foundation and Partnering with the Goa Police

2. Locating a Local Sports Brand to buy Gear and High-Tech Equipment

3. Lead football training for the Goa FC Police teams and identified key talents.

4. Event with the teams, heads of the Goa Police, where I gave mentorship and selected the young talented players.

Media

Read more...