Five young players and a coachfrom Wolves' Community Partner Club, JCT FC, are spending a week training with the Academy teams at the Compton Training Ground.
As well as experiencing life at an English Premier League Club they will take part in 'Technical and Tactical' training as well as Sports Science reviews during their week's stay. Members of Punjabi Wolves will be providing support during the visit, including organising a visit to Jaguar Castle Bromwich, via the Castle Bromwich Diversity Council and their community programme.
The community- led relationship between Wolves and JCT FC was established in 2009 as part of the 'Wolverhampton-India' partnership, which is a collaboration of businesses, education and public sector bodies in Wolverhampton, including: Wolverhampton University and College, Wolverhampton City Council, Wolverhampton Schools and Wolverhampton Development Company.
Wolves' Chief Executive, Jez Moxey and First Team Assistant Manager, Terry Connor, were part of a visiting delegation from Wolverhampton that toured JCT FC's new stadium site and training ground in Horshiarpur, Punjab, before Terry Connor took a short training session with JCT FC's youth team squad.
Jez then attended a press conference with Samir Thapar, president of JCT FC, to unveil the new partnership in front of India's national media and top officials from the Indian Football Federation. Also in attendance was Pat McFadden MP, the driving force behind the Wolverhampton-India Project which has played a key role in creating the link between the two clubs.
JCT Football Club was formed in 1971 by JCT Limited, a leading Textile producer. It is one of the top teams in India, they were the inaugural I-League champions and finished third in the I-League season 2007-08.
Jez Moxey, Chief Executive, has said of the relationship: "We are very proud of our community partnership with JCT FC. Many English Football Clubs have approached India with commercial or player recruitment aims as their short-term priorities.
"Our main aim has always been to build a long-term relationship based, first and foremost, around the community. A large proportion of our local community is from an Indian Punjabi background and we already have, in Punjabi Wolves, a vibrant and dynamic supporter's club who are great ambassadors for Wolverhampton Wanderers and the city. The relationship with JCT is enabling the Club to build on these links even further."
Jas Bains, of Punjabi Wolves and a key intermediary between the two Clubs, said: "Football's popularity in India is often underestimated. The Punjab region is a major supplier to the national team and JCT FC is one of Indian domestic football's 'giants'. This is an organic relationship, a natural fit between both parties, brought together by the city's Indian diaspora where the objective is sporting rather than commercially driven."
For more information about JCT www.jctfootball.com or CLICK HERE to go to the JCT page on www.wolves.co.uk.
CLICK HERE to view a picture gallery of their time at Compton.
