Now in his early 30s, Sarthak Dubey traces his footballing journey back to the mid-2000s, when most of his peers were glued to the English Premier League (EPL). But unlike many, his heart was firmly set on Indian football. Growing up in Bangalore, he would watch HAL’s I-League matches, follow the players, and even turn up at their training sessions. “I was fascinated by Indian football from the beginning,” he recalls. An economics graduate from Loyola College, Chennai, he soon realised his true calling lay in building a pathway for Indian players – from grassroots to youth, and eventually professional football.
Coaching became his starting point, as he earned his AIFF D, C, and B licenses while working across levels in Bangalore. Later, during his MBA in Football Industries at the University of Liverpool, he gained what he calls “a bird’s-eye view of the football industry – finance, marketing, operations, everything.”
A turning point came in 2017, when former AIFF Head of Player Development Richard Hood introduced him to the concept of baby leagues (age category grassroots football tournaments). “That’s when I identified the biggest gap in Indian football: children weren’t playing enough competitive matches compared to Europe or South America,” says Sarthak. That realisation eventually gave birth to the Double Pass Development League (DPDL), today regarded as India’s largest grassroots football league, featuring over 750 players across different age categories.
Rohan: In creating DPDL, what challenges did you face and what were the learnings? Managing so many teams and kids isn’t easy, especially with their academics alongside.
Sarthak: You’re absolutely right. The first challenge was the mindset of parents. In cities like Bangalore and Mumbai, most parents looked at sport as a way to keep their kids active, not as a serious career path. So convincing them to give us their weekends and explaining why competition was essential for skill development – that was tough.
Many coaches and academies were initially hesitant, as weekends were reserved for training sessions. We worked closely with them to show how structured competition could complement their programs. It helped players grow and added value to the academy’s overall ecosystem.
Operationally, managing so many teams was another big challenge. We had to ensure that every child felt part of a proper league system—with goals, whether that was winning, finishing mid-table, or simply avoiding last place. Servicing all those teams and creating a meaningful experience for kids was a huge learning.
Rohan: That makes sense. But it’s also a harsh truth that without generating money, you can’t sustain this project for long. Is the league financially sustainable? How do you manage salaries and operations?
Sarthak: Yes, sustainability is critical. Our model is pay-to-play: players pay a registration fee, usually through their academies. That’s our primary revenue stream.
From the beginning, I bootstrapped the league with my own money. But my financial principle is simple: never spend more than what comes in. That discipline comes from my corporate background.
We also bring in sponsors – sometimes in cash, sometimes through equipment or jerseys. We keep margins small but enough to sustain operations, reinvest in the next season, and expand to new cities.
Rohan: What’s the tournament structure like? How many competitions do you run in a year? And do you plan to expand into an academy setup, or is it league-only?
Sarthak: The main gap we’re addressing is the lack of long-format competition in India. Kids here used to play only 5–10 competitive matches a year. Compare that to Europe or South America, where kids play 50+ games a season.
So, our league runs for 8–9 months, with 20–25 matches per season for younger age groups (U7, U9, U11) and 16–18 matches for older kids. Along with school tournaments and other leagues, kids are now starting to reach that 50-game mark.
Currently, we operate in three cities – Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi – with age groups from U7 up to U19. Last year, we also launched a girls’ league in Mumbai for U14, and this year we’re expanding it to U17.
We focus entirely on being competition organisers, not academies. Our goal is to give children a full-league experience – referees walking them out, matchday atmosphere, post-match presentations, media coverage, social media highlights, and interviews.
Rohan: That’s great. What are the formats for each age group?
Sarthak: It scales up with age. U7s play 4v4 (four persons-a-side), U9s play 5v5, U11s play 7v7, U13s play 9v9, and from U15 onwards, it’s full 11v11 football.
Rohan: Since it’s been six years, how has the response been from teams? Do they return every season? And how was the response to the women’s tournament?
Sarthak: The response has been excellent. From the beginning in 2019, we’ve had strong participation. Big academies like Bengaluru FC, Mumbai City FC, Reliance Foundation Young Champs, and Baichung Bhutia Football Schools are regular participants. At the same time, smaller grassroots coaches with 20–30 kids also join. That mix is what makes the league vibrant.
Most academies return every year – it’s become part of their calendar. And yes, new teams keep joining too. The women’s league was well received, and we’re expanding it further this year.
Rohan: Do you ever see yourself expanding into having your own team to play in professional leagues?
Sarthak: No, I strongly believe that as a league operator, you have to remain neutral. If we had our own academy or team, people would suspect bias whenever there were refereeing or operational issues.
I can make a bigger impact by running leagues that thousands of kids participate in, rather than just one academy. So, for me, it’s leagues only.
Rohan: Speaking of referees, who officiates your matches? Are you tied up with any federation?
Sarthak: Yes, in every city we tie up with official referee associations. For example, in Delhi with Delhi Soccer Association referees, in Mumbai with Mumbai Football Association referees, and in Bangalore with Karnataka State Football Association referees. Sometimes, due to volume, we also engage private referees, but as much as possible, we stick to official ones.
The leagues are registered with the state associations. We pay affiliation fees and are recognised under AIFF’s Blue Cubs initiative as well.
Rohan: Any expansion plans? Especially Bengal, given its football culture?
Sarthak: Yes, absolutely. Currently, we’re in three cities, but by the end of this year, we’ll expand to three more: Goa, Kolkata, and Chennai.
We’ve already begun groundwork in Kolkata – hiring operations staff and reaching out to major clubs. Hopefully, we’ll see strong participation there soon.
And yes, we’re aware that in Bengal, despite the passion, there aren’t enough grassroots programs right now. We’re hoping to make a difference there.
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