10 lakh footballs for schools: FIFA, central government launch drive
The F4S programme, developed by FIFA (Fdration Internationale de Football Association), focuses on bringing football into the education system globally. In India, it is being implemented by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), with support from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).As part of the programme, FIFA will provide over 9.6 lakh footballs to school children in India, alongside similar contributions to 129 other countries participating in the initiative.Officials say the goal is not just to promote football but to introduce children to the values of sport -- discipline, teamwork, and perseverance -- through regular play in schools.advertisementThe initiative is expected to benefit thousands of government and private schools, offering children access to quality sports equipment and a chance to explore football as both a game and a career path.With a rising interest in football among Indian youth, the government sees the F4S programme as a step toward nurturing future talent and encouraging a more active lifestyle in classrooms across the country.(WITH PTI INPUTS)- EndsTrending Reel
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
37 minutes ago
- India Today
Tall, fierce and focused: Ayush Shetty reminds Viktor Axelsen of his younger self
At 6-foot-4, Ayush Shetty cuts an imposing figure on the badminton court. His lean frame, steep jump smashes, and improved court coverage have caught attention of the world. Many have begun noting the resemblance to Denmark's towering Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. The comparisons, of course, stop at the surface. While Axelsen has already conquered the sport, Ayush is just beginning to find his footing on the senior circuit. But there's no mistaking it: the 20-year-old from Mangalore is rising, and rising first big marker came at the US Open Super 300 in Iowa this June. In the semi-finals, Shetty faced off against World No. 6 Chou Tien Chen in a gripping three-game encounter. At one point, a 39-shot rally showed just how far Ayush has come: from being known for his aggressive attacking play to now demonstrating resilience, composed play from the back of the court, and mature shot selection. His hustle, including a beyond-believable flick from the back of the court while being off balance, earned him a sensational point and, eventually, a statement action sees Chou Tien Chen and Ayush Shetty go the distance.#BWFWorldTour #USOpen2025 BWF (@bwfmedia) June 29, 2025In the final on Sunday, he beat Canada's Brian Yang to claim his maiden senior international title, making him the first Indian to win a BWF Tour title in It was a breakthrough week for the 20-year-old, who has shown more than once this year that he has the ability to battle with the best at the highest level.'Ayush is from Mangalore, from a middle-class family,' recalls Vimal Kumar, former coach and one of the founders of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, where Ayush now trains.'He moved to Bangalore about seven or eight years ago, when he was still an early teenager. Initially, he was training under Krishna Kumar at I-Sports — a very good feeder in Karnataka. We have an understanding with I-Sports — when players are good, they come and train here because we have better facilities. That's how Ayush came to our academy about five years back.'I-Sports and krishna Kumar got it spot on once again. At PPBA, Ayush thrived. After beginning his badminton journey at the age of eight, inspired by his father, Ayush's training and intensity sharpened. In 2023, he won bronze at the BWF World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA — only the sixth Indian to do so in men's singles.'Ayush was a junior champion and a couple of years ago, he got that World Junior bronze. This year, I feel he's done well on the world stage — at the Orleans Masters, Chinese Taipei... He has beaten players like Loh Kean Yew, Rasmus Gemke and Kidambi Srikanth. That's a good indication,' says VIKTOR AXELSENadvertisementA lot of Ayush's improvement has come through intentional exposure to world-class training.'Last year, before the Olympics, we took him for a three-week training programme in Marseille with Lakshya Sen,' Vimal says."He trained with the Popov brothers — Toma and Christo — and that gave him a lot of confidence. Prior to that, we also sent him to Dubai to train with Viktor Axelsen when Viktor was based there. Viktor was quite impressed. He said, 'Ayush reminds me of my younger days', because both are tall, Ayush is 6'4", just like Viktor.'With that physical presence comes a unique challenge, and a massive opportunity.A GOOD BADMINTON BRAIN'As a tall player, Ayush did face challenges,' admits Vimal. 'Earlier, he was vulnerable defensively, especially when opponents attacked his body or played parallel shots. But this year, he's worked a lot on his defence and improved. He's bridged those areas. He's got a good badminton brain.'That 'badminton brain' has become one of Ayush's defining assets, helping him adapt, mix his game, and not rely only on his power. Against Chou Tien Chen in Iowa, it was clear he could stay in the rallies and not just try to blow opponents off the singles, the net game and defence are vital. He used to only play at the net and try to hit his way out, but players were reading him. Now, he's playing long rallies, lifting to the back, mixing it up. That's important. His smashes are still some of the hardest on the circuit — and if he finds more consistency with his angles, like Viktor, he'll be very hard to beat.'Still, there are a lot of areas to improve. Afterall, Ayush is just beginning to get a feel of what it is to battle against and beat the best.'His core strength and leg stability need work because he's lanky,' Vimal explains. 'Sometimes he hits a bit wild, but with more matches, he'll refine that.'LEARNING TO FLY SOLOIn a bold move, Ayush's team sent him to the North American leg of the season, including the US Open and Canada Open, without a coach or support it was a deliberate call,' Vimal confirmed.'We wanted him to take more responsibility and see how he copes. These days, players have personal coaches and trainers — but this was a good test. We're quite happy he's managing on his own.'That independence is showing. After cracking the world's top 35, Ayush now has a target: break into the top 25 to consistently play Super 500, 750, and 1000-level GOOD COMPANYAt the Padukone Academy, Ayush trains alongside Kiran George and others under the watchful eye of coach Sagar Chopda.'There's been good progress,' Vimal says. 'I was especially pleased with the match he played against Chou Tien Chen — he lost the first narrowly, but came back really well. That shows good temperament. It's not easy to beat a player like Chou.'The Indian men's singles scene is stacked with talent — Lakshya Sen, Kiran George, Priyanshu Rajawat — but Vimal believes it's players like Ayush who now must push through.'At 19-20, you have to do that — like Lakshya did a couple of years ago. We have players stuck in the 30s (ranking), and I hope they come out of that. These four — Ayush, Lakshya, Kiran, Priyanshu — can take over from the current generation.'advertisementThe camaraderie among them is strong. 'Yes, they stay in touch. Today also we exchanged messages after watching his match last night. We told him not to celebrate too much — there are still five matches to go in Canada!' Vimal US Open title has marked him as India's next big hope. The Viktor Axelsen references may keep surfacing — but Ayush isn't chasing them. His real challenge begins now: building the mental resilience to block out the noise, the consistency to deliver week after week, and the hunger to keep he's not doing it alone. With a strong support system and a sharp group of peers around him, Ayush has all the tools to build on the spark that he has showed over the last couple of Vimal Kumar puts it: 'He's slowly maturing. I'm happy that at 20, he's won his first tournament and beaten good players. If he finds consistency, I am sure he will win a lot more medals for the country.'- Ends
India Today
37 minutes ago
- India Today
India vs England 2nd Test, Predicted Playing XI: Arshdeep-Kuldeep in, Shardul out?
The Indian cricket team faces big selection calls going into the 2nd Test match against England. India, who lost the opener of the 5-match series in Leeds last week, are expected to make big changes at Edgbaston, a venue where they lost against England in up to the 2nd Test, a lot of focus has been on the availability of Jasprit Bumrah for the upcoming game. India captain Shubman Gill addressed the rumours of Jasprit Bumrah not playing in the 2nd Test match and stated that the fast bowler was available for selection, but the final call on his inclusion in the Test match would be taken on Tuesday also confirmed that India were going to play two spinners in the game, and a call on which two will be taken after seeing the final pitch on the morning of Day 1. India have the options of Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar on the bench. If they want an out-and-out attacking option, they are most certainly going to play the wrist Shardul dilemma Bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur was picked for the Test team on the back of a sensational performance in the Ranji Trophy. However, his time on the tour could be cut short as India are likely to bolster their tail with Nitish Reddy, who showed that he was an extremely capable red-ball batter in inclusion will mean that India will need a specialist bowler added to the line-up, which is likely to be one among Kuldeep or Washington Sundar. This in turn means that India will have to drop one among Karun Nair or Sai Sudharsan from the Gill has already called for more responsibility from the top order, which might hint that Sudharsan is going to retain his place in the line-up, at least for one more Test India Play Arshdeep?India have carried Arshdeep Singh in their squad for England. The white-ball superstar is the only left-arm fast bowler in the Indian side. The fans want to see some variety in the Indian line-up, a argument that has good merit. However, it is unlikely that the Gautam Gambhir-led management will bring down the experience of a bowling line-up which is already struggling in the predicted XI for 2nd TestYashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk/vc), Nitish Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit on the other hand, have already announced their playing XI. They are going with an unchanged line-up after winning the previous Test match in Playing XI for 2nd TestZak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.- EndsTune In
News18
41 minutes ago
- News18
India's Khelo Bharat Niti To Revamp Sports Governance: What About IOA & NSFs?
Last Updated: Khelo Bharat Niti introduces government oversight, aiming for ethical practices and 2036 Olympics prep, with regulatory bodies, anti-doping laws, and private sector involvement. India's sports administration is set to undergo significant government oversight as outlined in the newly-released Khelo Bharat Niti. This policy aims to establish 'national-level regulatory bodies and inter-ministerial committees" to enforce 'ethical practices" and prepare the nation for potentially hosting the 2036 Olympics. The 20-page document, accessed by PTI, will serve as the blueprint for structural changes in the Indian sports ecosystem, detailing a comprehensive plan for 'strong professional sports governance." It mentions that India's aspiration to host the 2036 Olympics, for which a letter of intent has already been submitted, necessitates a revamp of sports governance. 'To prepare India's sports ecosystem for Olympics 2036, the requisite regulatory framework, including law, if necessary, for governance shall be established," the policy states, superseding the one introduced in 2001. A National Anti-Doping Bill is ready for introduction in Parliament, and a draft sports bill is awaiting legislative approval. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya describes the new policy as transformative, aligning with his emphasis on holding administrators accountable, who often face accusations of prioritising internal conflicts over actual sports development. The policy asserts, 'National-level regulatory bodies and/or processes shall be established to ensure ethical practices, fair play, and healthy competition in the sports sector." It also involves creating national agencies and inter-ministerial committees to ensure quick action, effective issue resolution, and promote transparency across the sports ecosystem. The new policy includes a monitoring mechanism for NSFs to ensure transparency, stating, 'Sports promotion institutions in the country, including NSFs, will be strengthened by focusing on operational efficiency, professional management, transparency, and financial sustainability." This will require enhancing national-level monitoring agencies to ensure seamless functioning and effective issue resolution. The policy highlights the establishment of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and time-bound targets to guide sports development in the country. It outlines the roles of various stakeholders: government agencies will provide the regulatory framework and funding, sports federations will drive talent development and competition, the private sector will contribute resources and innovation, and the public will engage in and support sports activities. A Sports Innovation Task Force will be set up to oversee targeted innovation efforts in sports science and sports medicine. The policy proposes a revamped funding mechanism, including initiatives like 'Adopt an Athlete," 'Adopt a District," 'Adopt a Venue," 'One Corporate-One Sport," and 'One PSU-One State" where feasible. Efforts will be made to establish a Sports Business Advisory Group comprising representatives from relevant ministries, the private sector, and other stakeholders to foster the growth of the sports industry. The document outlines schemes to encourage private sector participation in sports development activities. To incentivise this contribution, the policy will incorporate Return on Investment (ROI) considerations for private entities, making their involvement in sports development both attractive and sustainable.
