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NEW
DELHI: Even as cricket as a sporting event appears to rule
the world, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Bharti
Enterprises today agreed to "electrify football in the
country'' and prepare a team to qualify for the 2018 World
Cup.
To
this end, Bharti Enterprises and AIFF signed a "Memorandum
of Understanding" to launch the first major public-private
partnership to establish a world-class football academy in
Goa.
At
a meeting at which AIFF chief Priyaranjan Dasmunsi was present,
Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal said he would embark upon
the mission by forging close ties with AIFF to give a fillip
to the game in the country. He said, "We have had enough
dose of cricket and I think it is the time to start a programme
to make India a football nation. In ten years, we want India
to be on the world stage.''
Mittal
also added, ''Football is the world's most popular sport.
It unites the World. Our Vision is to develop a rich football
culture in India. To achieve this vision, we will look at
partnering leading international football clubs and institutions
like Manchester United and IMG.''
''It
is a great day for Indian football," said an elated Dasmunsi,
adding that the academy to be set up in Goa will build ''young
talent providing them the best the world has to offer''.
With
the telecom tycoon willing to open his purse-strings, the
game of football is definitely going to get the much-needed
boost, the AIFF president added. Dasmunsi said the football
academy at Goa ''is part of the programme aimed at delivering
the vision of taking India to FIFA World Cup while building
powerful sporting and football culture in the country. AIFF,
in partnership with Bharti, will also design and build a world-class
talent development programme,'' he added.
As a first step, Bharti announced support for the development
of the India Under-16 team in its endeavour to qualify for
the World Cup finals in that category.
Asked
about the budget for this big project, Mr Dasmunsi said ‘'we
are yet to go into the details but it can be around Rs 1 billion.''
Mittal
was of the view that money will not be a problem. ''I cannot
give you the exact details just now but let me assure you
that it is going to be the single largest injection of money
in any discipline of sports after cricket in the country.''
AIFF
secretary Albero Colaco said two state governments - Haryana
and Goa – had offered land for setting up the academy.
But ''it has been decided to set up Bharti-AIFF academy at
Goa,'' he added.
"The
academy, which will be built on the lines of club academies
in Western Europe, will be a residential cum educational academy.
It will select and nurture talent in four different age groups
(8 to 10 years, 11 to 13 years, 13 to 15 years and 15 to 18
years) with the help of experts from around the world and
will provide the talent with exposure to global best practices
and training techniques.''
The
academy is likely to have 100 players, 25 each in four age
categories, Colaco added.
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