Promoting Sports Culture: Arunachal Pradesh Govt Launches Football Training Programme In 200 Schools

The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to implement a football training programme, titled 'Football For School', in over 200 schools. Taba Tedir, the education minister for Arunachal Pradesh, made this announcement, saying the programme will aim at promoting sports culture in the state and improving upcoming talents in the age bracket of 6-13 in the state.

Football for Schools (F4S) is a large-scale initiative by FIFA in partnership with UNESCO that aims to aid the empowerment, growth, and education of about 700 million young people. The program will make football more accessible for both boys and girls worldwide by integrating football-related activities into the educational system. This will be done by collaborating with the necessary authorities and stakeholders of respective regions.

How Will The Programme Work?

Referring to the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) signed between FIFA and the Union Education Ministry of India to encourage football among children, Tedir said that plans for the initiative are required from every state, Financial Express reported. They also had a meeting among the members of the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association (APFA) and representatives from the departments of education and sports on Monday to discuss the same. He stated that the programme shall receive backing from FIFA and the Union Education Ministry.

Describing the features of the initiative, Tedir said that they would select schools with playgrounds and physical education teachers. He also spoke of their plans regarding schools with more than 50 to 100 students in the required age range being given preference.

First State To Implement Programme

According to Kipa Ajay, the treasurer of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Arunachal Pradesh will be the nation's first state to establish such a program. At present, APFA is working on the initiative and plans to implement it in the state with the help of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in December.

The northeast parts of India have hilly terrain, making it ideal for young children to start playing sports like football at a very young age. While the children have knowledge about the game, they still need proper training and skills to excel at it. The state, through the programme, intends to popularise the sport in the region and create talent and opportunities that benefit India's position on the global stage. India currently ranks 106 in World FIFA Rankings.

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