All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Praful Patel on Thursday thanked the Indian cricket board for doling out Rs 250 million for the development of football in the country.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Praful Patel on Thursday thanked the Indian cricket board for doling out Rs 250 million for the development of football in the country.
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"It is a historic decision by the BCCI and will have far-reaching effects. I whole heartedly thank the BCCI and this grant will help in the development and upliftment of the game in our country. For long, India has been known as a great cricketing nation throughout the world, but now I am sure it would also be known as a footballing nation in the very near future," Patel said.
Patel, who is also the civil aviation minister, had apparently approached his party chief and former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sharad Pawar to get some funds from the cricket board to prepare the national football team for the 2011 Asian Cup. Pawar is also the president-elect of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The BCCI working committee finally decided to grant a hefty sum to the AIFF for the next two years.
Patel said the AIFF will closely monitor the development programme and hoped that Indian football achieves its pristine glory soon.
"Our immediate task is to strengthen our national team and prepare it for the Asian Cup in Doha. I am sure the revival of Indian football will start from the ONGC Nehru Cup this month," he said.
AIFF vice-president Subrata Dutta also lauded the BCCI and hoped that under Patel's leadership Indian football will go far.
"It was also a wonderful job done by Mr Patel. Under his able leadership, we have to bring back the pristine glory of Indian football. Mr Patel has assured us that there won't be any dearth of funds for the development of the game in the country. We would also provide right kind of management to take Indian football forward," he said.
Patel has also been successful in getting Rs100 million as grant from the sports ministry to develop the team for the 2010 Asian Games.
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