FIFA's Goal Project takes wings in Bangalore

FIFA’s much-praised Goal programme, which aims to promote football around the world by constructing technical centres, football schools and artificial turfs, cemented its roots in India on November 4 with the foundation laying ceremony of the International Academy at the Bangalore Football Stadium.

A riveting fusion of panchavadyam and bagpipes welcomed Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and All India Football Federation (AIFF) president and civil aviations minister Praful Patel for the unveiling of the foundation stone at the beautifully decked up southern wing of the stadium, where the academy is set to come up.

India will have FIFA academies in Sikkim and Bangalore and an AIFF-aided tsunami project in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The academy, which is expected to be complete in 12-14 months, will be jointly managed by FIFA, AIFF, and Karnataka State Football Association and will host international coaches, deputed by the world governing body, to train close to 60 talented footballers of the state as well as from other parts of the country.

The state-of-the-art facility will have fully-equipped gymnasium, dormitories and a mini-hospital named after Brazilian Dempo striker Cristiano Junior, who died here during a Fed Cup match in 2004. KSFA has donated Rs 1 crore and FIFA $200,000 to finance the project.

A model of the Bangalore Football Stadium