Vinod Kumar bats for popularising football
TRS MP, B Vinod Kumar, who attended a football presentation programme inaugurated by the Speaker, Sumitra Mahajan and organised by Vijay Goel, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports, in the Parliament House here on Wednesday urged Telangana youth to take up to the sport in a big way.
New Delhi: TRS MP, B Vinod Kumar, who attended a football presentation programme inaugurated by the Speaker, Sumitra Mahajan and organised by Vijay Goel, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports, in the Parliament House here on Wednesday urged Telangana youth to take up to the sport in a big way.
The programme was a part of the Mission XI Million (MXIM) Initiative by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, to take football culture to 11 million children across India which would be hosting the first-ever FIFA Under-17 World Cup in October 2017. The programme was also attended by Bhaichung Bhutia, the former captain of the Indian Football Team.
Vinod Kumar, while speaking to the media, welcomed the noble initiative, and urged all schools in Telangana to participate in the programme by organising inter and intra-school football tournaments, workshops, symposia and other programmes to popularise the game among school children and also spread awareness of the upcoming FIFA World Cup. While cricket has always been a sensation in Indian sports, unfortunately, football- the most popular international sport played by around 250 million players across 200 countries, continues to remain neglected.
In today’s changing scenario, as electronic gadgets and smartphones find a place in the hands of increasing number of children, sports and physical activities had unfortunately taken a backseat, he said. This has not only invited poor lifestyle choices, but also led to increased number of youngsters being afflicted with obesity, lack of concentration, respiratory ailments and so on.
Vinod Kumar urged all officials at the district, block and village levels in Telangana to leave no stone unturned in participating in the Mission XI Million Initiative and in ensuring that the programme spreads awareness of football to every student in each school of the State. He spoke to Venkateshwar Reddy, Chairman of Telangana Sports Authority and to the State Sports Authority officials to organise football camps and to urge all 31 District Collectors and District Sports Authorities to participate in the Mission XI Million in a big way.
