While Kolkata, the home city of Mohun Bagan Athletic Club and East Bengal Club, two of India’s oldest football clubs, reneges on nurturing young footballers and is roping in cricket stars to revive popular interest in the game, Punjab is doing exceptionally well for the football world. The state is widely known to have produced various hockey legends for India. But Punjab is also nurturing a breed of footballers holding promise for the future. Small wonder that 700 youngsters from all over the state compete in the annual open trials for admission to the Mahilpur Football Academy, a village football academy that promises to produce Indian Maradonas and Peles.