AIFF President Launches FIFA's 'Football For Schools' In Nagaland, Aims To Create 'Star Footballers'

Advancing the sport of football in Nagaland, All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey launched FIFA's and UNESCO's collective 'Football for Schools' initiative at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima on Sunday.

Wezope Kenye, Secretary of the Youth Resources and Sports department, stated that the initiative aims to popularise the game throughout India. Conceptualized by FIFA in collaboration with AIFF and with the assistance of the Union government, the initiative was launched in the presence of representatives from the Nagaland Football Association (NFA), the Nagaland Olympic Association (NOA), and the Youth Resources and Sports Department.

'Star Footballers' In The Making

While speaking at the launch event, Chaubey said that children are the future of the state and the nation. Hence, his primary responsibility is to assist students in developing and enabling them to play football at the best level. He emphasised how Nagaland has produced some of the best players representing the nation in the Olympics. If the strategy is executed as planned, Chaubey feels that it can create many 'star footballers' in the state, reported Morung Express.

Er. Zale Neikha, the state's advisor for Youth Resources and Sports department, described the recently established FIFA football for schools project as an ambitious programme aimed at popularising the sport among school children and assisting them in developing their skills at a young age. By integrating football activities into the educational system with essential life skills and knowledge, the initiative aims to increase football's accessibility to both boys and girls worldwide. It also focuses on ensuring that every child gets equal opportunities by making football available to all students without distinction.

Aim To Cultivate Sports Culture

Partnering with UNESCO, FIFA has launched the ambitious Football for Schools programme, which seeks to educate, empower, and develop 700 million young people worldwide. The Indian governments in the Northeast, particularly, have embraced this initiative and are confident of its potential to cultivate sports culture across districts.

The programme's objectives involve giving training in life skills and competencies to children irrespective of gender. It focuses on providing specific tools and training to coaches, which helps them deliver sports and life skills instruction effectively. It also aims to increase the ability of all parties involved (schools, member associations, and government agencies) to conduct life skills instruction through football.

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