ANI
21 Nov 2023, 17:26 GMT+10
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], November 21 (ANI): The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Government of Odisha, on Tuesday in the presence of Arsene Wenger, FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development and former Arsenal manager, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up the AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy at the Odisha Football Academy in Bhubaneswar.
The MoU between the two was signed by the AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey and R Vineel Krishna, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha. Tushar Kanti Behera, Sports Minister of Odisha was present, as per a press release from All India Football Federation (AIFF).
In the ceremony, Chaubey said, "I thank the Government of Odisha and FIFA President for his support to Indian Football in every possible way. The result of that is the presence of the legendary Arsene Wenger today in India.""His guidance, leadership, technical plan and strategy will help India dream. Let us take a small step and qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup on merit, and soon the senior FIFA World Cup. I have high expectations through the AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy that we will get our best U-17 team in the coming three years," Chaubey added.
Arsene Wenger said, "I am happy to be in India with my team. I saw the facilities and the quality of infrastructure is great here in Odisha. We have realised that among 211 countries, most have no real youth education. The best countries have good education systems for young children. So, many children do not even get the chance.""Giving every talent in the world a chance is what our programme is about. To identify the talent in India, give good education and a good level of competition to make great players. How long it could take, we do not know, but without education, we will remain where we are. Our target is to get India back on the map. No country has more rights than any other to be on the top. Our huge effort is to educate children to get them as good as they can be. You cannot start to play football at 15, you need to start at five or six," Wenger said.
Krishna said, "It is a great honour to have Mr. Wenger here in Odisha. There is a lot of excitement for your visit. You have been an inspiration to football lovers across the globe. We are sincerely thankful to you and FIFA for selecting Bhubaneswar as the AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy."Behera said, "The AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy is the first of its kind in India, which is a testament to Odisha's rapidly growing standards as a global sports hub."After the ceremony, Wenger watched budding footballers under the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, training at the adjacent ground. He also interacted with the coaches involved in the training. (ANI)Get a daily dose of Las Vegas Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Las Vegas Herald.
More InformationMADRID, Spain: Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, have died in a car accident in Spain. Spanish...
LONDON, U.K.: An unrelenting heatwave sweeping across Europe has pushed early summer temperatures to historic highs, triggering deadly...
President Donald Trump's plans to build a space-based Golden Dome missile defense shield have drawn immediate criticism from China,...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Paramount has agreed to pay US$16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by U.S. President Donald Trump over...
LONDON, U.K.: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer won a vote in Parliament this week to move ahead with changes to the country's welfare...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. President...
FRANKLIN, Tennessee: Hundreds of thousands of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles are being recalled across the United States due to a potential...
REDMOND, Washington: Microsoft is the latest tech giant to announce significant job cuts, as the financial strain of building next-generation...
LONDON UK - U.S. stock markets were closed on Friday for Independence Day. Global Forex Markets Wrap Up Friday with Greeback Comeback...
SANTA CLARA, California: Nvidia came within a whisker of making financial history on July 3, briefly surpassing Apple's all-time market...
SACRAMENTO, California: California's multibillion-dollar farms are facing a growing crisis—not from drought or pests, but from a sudden...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump says the United States could soon reach a trade deal with India. He believes this deal would...