Srinagar: To spot football talents in the state, the Jammu and Kashmir Bank is planning to set up an academy besides forming an under-19 side.

"We have a couple of initiatives lined up for promoting football in the state. We will be setting up a football academy and form an under-19 team to nurture talent who will take us forward in the National Football League," chairman of the bank Haseeb Drabu said here today.

"With the academy and the under-19 team coming up, more players from the state will get exposure to good coaching and training," he added.

Drabu highlighted the importance of investing in football rather than cricket.

"Football has huge popularity here. In fact, it is the only game in which our state has not only produced players who have donned the national colours, but those who led the Indian team."

He said the Government should come forward to build infrastructure for the game and vowed that his bank would extend full support on this front.