Downtown Heroes Football Club is an Indian professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

club based in

Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

. It currently competes in the

I-League 2 I-League 2, previously known as I-League 2nd Division and officially known as or Hero I-League 2 (for sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp), is an Indian men's professional football league. It is the 3rd tier of Indian football, behind India ...

and the

JKFA Professional League J&K Premier Football League, also known as J&K Premier Division and Srinagar Premier League, is the top state football leagues in India, state-level association football, football league in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir (union territor ...

History

The club was founded in 2020 by a group of young professionals with the aim of promoting sports culture and steering the youth away from

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...

. The club's philosophy is to nurture football talent at the grassroots level and provide high quality training facilities and coaching to develop world-class players. Their motto is "Players are bred, not born". Downtown Heroes FC aims to channel the energy of the region's youth towards positive goals through sport. Concerned by the growing menace of drug addiction among the valley's young people, they decided to set up a football club to foster a culture of sportsmanship and provide an outlet for young talent. The club is named after the downtown area of Srinagar where the founders first started holding practices and scouting for talented young players. The club participated in the

2023 Durand Cup The 2023 Durand Cup (also known as IndianOil Durand Cup due to sponsorship ties with the Indian Oil Corporation) was the 132nd edition of Durand Cup, the oldest football tournament in Asia, and the second edition since it was supported by the A ...

where they finished at the group stage.

Stadium and facilities

The first team trains at Islamia College in the heart of downtown Srinagar. The club's youth academy operates at Rainawari. The women's team holds its practice sessions at Government Degree College Bemina in Srinagar.

Performance

The long-term vision is for Downtown Heros FC to become a powerhouse of Kashmiri football and compete at the highest levels of Indian football, bringing greater sporting glory to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The club also aims to produce players good enough to represent India at international tournaments.

Club culture

Downtown Heroes FC places strong emphasis on positive values such as teamwork, integrity, and community service. Players are expected to participate in grassroots coaching clinics and charitable initiatives. The club wishes to be a positive role model and source of aspiration for the valley's youth. It aims to unite people across social and political divides through the power of football.

Honours

*Christmas Gold Cup **Runners-up (1): 2023

References

Football clubs in Jammu and Kashmir Sport in Srinagar I-League 2 clubs Association football clubs established in 2020 2020 establishments in Jammu and Kashmir {{India-footyclub-stub