Aran Hooda
Mission Statement: To inspire and uplift underprivileged children in Goa through football, by providing equipment, organizing world-class 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 (2024-2025)
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:
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Boots * specialised for each persons' needs
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Socks
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Sports bag
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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
The Times of India
Article published in India's Leading English Newspaper
Lakshvedi Newspaper
Leading Marathi-language Newspaper
Prudent Media Goa
Goa TV Channel and social media news account with 177k+ followers on instagram
*Click on image to access page*
Goa Police Official Account
The Goa Police posted this partnership on their Instagram, Threads, and Facebook pages
Goa Daily Newspaper (Goa Gazette)
Article in the leading Goan government Newspaper
Project Goa: Chapter 2 (2025-2026)
Strategic Review & Future Pathways
On January 2, 2026, I led a 45-minute structured review conference with 5 selected players and their families from the Ujala Hooda Foundation, marking the third year of this initiative. Unlike a traditional training session, this meeting was designed as a formal progress review and goal-setting forum, held in a full conference setting.
Each player was asked to reflect on:
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Their development since last year
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The level of competition they are currently facing
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Their five-year football and life goals
Crucially, I shifted the conversation from talent identification to pathway creation — asking the players what support they believe is necessary to bridge the gap between local success and elite performance environments.
A clear consensus emerged: while talent and motivation are present, access to high-quality, elite-level coaching remains the biggest barrier. This insight now directly shapes the Foundation’s next phase, moving from equipment and opportunity access toward technical excellence and professional exposure.
This meeting represents a transition of Ujala from a grassroots initiative into a long-term development platform focused on sustainability, accountability, and measurable growth.
This group represents a selected cohort of high-potential players identified through the Ujala Hooda Foundation’s second-year evaluation process. These players were chosen not only for their technical ability, but for their discipline, commitment, and ambition demonstrated over time.
Having trained with them in the previous year, this follow-up allowed me to assess real progression, not just raw talent. Many of these players are now competing at higher levels than before, validating the Foundation’s focus on sustained engagement rather than one-off interventions.
Moving forward, this cohort, along with around 30 other talented individuals, will participate in:
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Regular virtual training and mentorship sessions with an elite-level coach who has previously worked with a top English academy
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Advanced tactical and positional education
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Exposure to professional training standards and expectations
The long-term objective is to ensure that geographic and economic limitations do not determine access to elite football knowledge. This cohort forms the foundation of a scalable model — one that can be expanded to train 20–30 players at a time through visiting coaches and international collaboration.
Selected Players & Next Steps
