Taiwan Launches Global Sports Internship in India for Its Youth
The first Taiwanese intern, Ms. Tong Weng, has commenced her six-month placement with the Indian Football Foundation (IFF) and Garhwal United Football Club, aligning with President Lai’s “Global Pathfinders” vision.
Taipei, Taiwan – As part of Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te’s vision to encourage Taiwanese youth to explore global opportunities and pathways, a new internship initiative has been launched to connect young people from Taiwan with grassroots sports development projects in India.
In June 2025, Peters Chen, Director of Education at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in India, with Taiwanese intern Ms. Tong Weng, met with Kishore Taid, CEO & Co-founder of Enjogo and Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (BBFS), to explore avenues for collaboration. The partnership aims to provide hands-on experience to young Taiwanese interns while contributing to the development of youth sports in India.
The program’s first intern to India, Ms. Tong Weng, has begun her six-month placement with the Indian Football Foundation (IFF) and Garhwal United Football Club. The association showed her what she would do in the following months.
Through this immersive experience, Ms. Weng will gain insights into India’s football ecosystem—focusing not only on match preparation and player development but also on learning how such organizations help identify and train young talent, especially among girls.
Reflecting on her early days in India, Ms. Tong Weng shared: “It has been two weeks since I arrived in India, and now I have a glimpse of what comes next. I will be exploring the operations side of the football school this week, and I am so excited. Every day here has brought something new, and now it is time to dive in and get to work!”
The internship also includes exposure to training programs for schoolchildren and aspiring athletes in sports like football, badminton, and other potential sports. The collaboration emphasizes not just skills training but also marketing, cultural exchange, youth empowerment, and international friendship through sport.
Ms. Ya Wen Lien, who serves as the program mentor, remarked: “It is an honor to have the opportunity to facilitate the internship of Taiwanese youth at the Indian Football Foundation (IFF). We hope to see more diverse forms of exchange between Taiwan and India in the future.”
This programme, ”Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative”, highlights how people-to-people exchanges can build strong bridges across nations, foster understanding through shared passions like sport, and empower young individuals to chart their own paths on the global stage. 660 young dreamers are being sent to more than 40 countries to start their new journey, fully sponsored by Taiwan’s government, the Youth Affairs Administration, and the Ministry of Education. India is one of the popular destination countries for applicants. “We hope, in the near future, to host a match together with Taiwan’s and India’s young people,” said Peters Chen.
