FIFA's 'Football for Schools' programme espouses spirit of NEP: Dharmendra Pradhan

New Delhi [India], October 10 (ANI): Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday met Secretary-General, FIFA, Fatma Samoura ahead of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2022.
MoS, Sports, Nisith Pramanik; President, All India Football Federation, Kalyan Chaubey; Secretary General, AIFF, Shaji Prabhakaran and officials of Ministry of Education, Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, CBSE and SAI were also present.
Discussions centred around collaboration with FIFA and UNESCO's 'Football for Schools' programme in schools across the country.
In a joint press conference after the meeting, Pradhan said that the Football for Schools movement espouses the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and promotes sports-integrated learning. It will boost the culture of sports in India and help in developing the skills of our students, he further added.
He said that the Government of India is committed to promote sports and create a mass movement for football, especially among school children, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of developing India as a sporting superpower as well as ensuring a Fit India.
Keeping in view the large network of schools, Samoura and the Minister agreed to take the Football for Schools programme to all the 700-plus districts in India. Pradhan informed that Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti will be the nodal agency on behalf of the Ministry of Education to take this initiative forward.
Speaking on the occasion, Nishith Pramanik said that this initiative will be a game changer for the future of football game. He also said that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) will extend all support for this initiative.
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2022 is scheduled to be held in India between October 11 and 30. (ANI)