New Delhi, October 29
All India Football Federation on Tuesday was conferred with the prestigious AFC President's Recognition Award for Grassroots Football (Silver) during the AFC Annual Awards 2023 in Seoul, South Korea.
Since the preceding AFC Annual Awards in Doha last year, when it was handed the Bronze award, the AIFF has been endorsed with a Silver-level membership under the AFC Grassroots Charter.
The AIFF has been credited for its strong commitment towards grassroots development and establishing long-term sustainable programmes, facilitating regional involvement, and strong partnerships with various stakeholders across the country.
AIFF President, Kalyan Chaubey, who accepted the award on behalf of Indian football, said: "The AFC President's Recognition Award for Grassroots Football (Silver) conferred on the All India Football Federation today didn't come overnight and is the result of a combined effort of many factors.
"The highly successful Khelo India, inspired and launched under the guidance of Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, in 90 different cities, remains a huge motivation for the All India Football Federation. The AIFF, through its member associations, took part in Khelo India football events in 87 cities and it played a big role in grassroots development. We remained indebted to our visionary Prime Minister and Khelo India.
"Similarly, the FIFA-AIFF Academy launched in Bhubaneswar is a product of FIFA-TDS and the personal interest taken by legendary Arsene Wenger. At the same time, the AFC coaches' education guidance has helped the grassroots development programme to a great extent. On behalf of the All India Football Federation and Indian football in general, I express my gratitude and thanks to all of them for contributing to grassroots development," he said.
The Asian Football Confederation, in a media release, said: "The AIFF's Blue Cubs initiative, which aims to engage an impressive 35 million children by 2026, has been earmarked as a game-changer for football in India as it includes several crucial elements, ranging from establishing development centres and hosting festivals to expanding the reach of the game to schools and remote villages through active collaboration with major stakeholders such as Indian Super League clubs, local governing bodies and nonprofitable organisations.
"At the same time, the AIFF's commitment towards expanding the length and breadth of its competitions across the subcontinent has also been paying dividends with more Indian age-group sides featuring in the AFC's competitions in recent years."