The Hindu : Sport / Football : Game moving in the right direction: AFC

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Game moving in the right direction: AFC

CHENNAI: The Asian Football Confederation believes that India, the sleeping football giant in the continent has begun to wake up.

It is actively participating in tournaments. Activities have gone up.

“Let me say football in India is moving on the right direction,” summed up Dato Paul Mony Samuel, the AFC General Secretary.

“Sooner or later, the results will be there,” he told newsmen here on Monday.

Dato Samuel along with Dr Annathurai Ranganathan, AFC’s Development officer and the AIFF General Secretary Alberto Colaco had come to the city after attending the Vision India function in Kozhikode held on Sunday.

They took time off to be at the Nehru stadium to watch the proceedings in the Champion Club tournament.

Potential

The AFC General Secretary believes that like China India has the potential to go far.

He referred to the Vision Asia project with particular reference to India and said Manipur was the example of what concerted effort can bring about.

“The Vision project there is going ahead with active involvement of all. The state has proved money is no constraint. All that was needed was belief and an eagerness to improve,” he said while hoping that Kerala would follow the trend.

Dato Samuel spoke highly of what he saw at the launch of the school league in Kerala. “What was striking was the presence of a large number of parents. Their involvement heartened me. This is what is needed,” he said.

Dr. Ranganathan who had been following the Kerala project closely said, he was impressed with the way officials there were grasping the ideas. “This is a good sign of development,” he said.

On Tamil Nadu, the AFC chief said it was a similar concerted effort that was needed. Here the Tamil Nadu Football Association President C.R. Visswanathan took the opportunity to inform the media that the Chennai Corporation had decided to provide the Kannapar thidal ground for use of the football Association.

“This is the kind of support that we need,” Mr Visswanathan said thanking the Mayor of the Chennai Corporation.

Road blocks

Mr. Colaco said the Delhi leg of the Vision project had met some road blocks because of intra-Association issues. But things had been sorted out and the project would be back on the rails, he assured the AFC officials. — Special Correspondent

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