Young Indian sporting talent will enjoy greater access to US scholarship opportunities after FirstPoint USA partnered with Sreenidhi International School and Sports Academy.
The new and exclusive partnership kicked off this month and links world leading agency FirstPoint with hundreds of young sports men and women based in Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana state in southern India.
The school and its sports academy boasts some of the region’s most promising sporting talent across squash, basketball, tennis, cricket, swimming, athletics and football.
Welcoming the partnership Andrew Kean, FirstPoint USA CEO, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Sreenihdi and to be providing truly life-changing sports scholarship opportunities to young people connected to the school and sports academy.
“The growth and development of sport in India, across participation, representation and economic value, has been vast in recent years – we’re excited that FirstPoint is able to add to that and help create future stars with their own stories to tell.”
USA sports scholarship market leader FirstPoint, based in Glasgow and with offices in Manchester and London, will provide free consultancy for any young people within the ISA network interested in pursuing a scholarship as part of the agreement. Since being founded by CEO Andrew Kean in 2001, FirstPoint has helped more than 30,000 young people enjoy a new, life-changing journey as scholar-athletes at 2,500 of the best universities and colleges in the States.
Tawanda Ryan Matopodzi, Director of Sreenidhi Sports Academy and Athletics Director for Sreenidhi International School, said: “As an organization, we believe in nurturing the pattern of striving for excellence and providing equal opportunities for student-athletes to reach their greatest potential. The partnership with FirstPoint USA will open unlimited doors for young Indian athletes to play for prestigious college teams or possibly go professional.
“We place emphasis on developing student-athletes who are equally balanced in both sports and academics; so partnering with FirstPoint USA will enable our athletes to follow their dream while earning a graduate degree. It is an exciting period for Sreenidhi as we work with the world’s leading US sports scholarship agency to provide life-changing opportunities for Indian student-athletes.”
The agreement is just the latest in a wave of official partnerships agreed by FirstPoint USA this year including with League Football Education, the Mexican Federation of School Sports, Chinese School Sports Federation, English Schools FA, Independent Schools Association and Asmir Begović Goalkeeper Academy.
FirstPoint USA alumni include former US Masters champion Danny Willett and HSBC Shanghai Masters Champion Russell Knox while Premier League winner and England international Jamie Vardy participated in a number of FirstPoint events. A host of professional footballers playing in leagues across the world have also been supported by FirstPoint through their own sports scholarship journey. The agency introduced a new digital platform earlier this year to allow all prospective scholar-athletes the opportunity to assess their options and engage with institutions and coaches at the touch of a button and no cost: www.firstpointusa.com
