Grassroot football academy in schools begins
Taking inspiration from the ‘Khelo India’ initiative and the concept of ‘a healthy mind resides in a healthy body’, South Delhi Municipal Corporation said it has set up a ‘grassroot Football Academy’ at Dr Sahib Singh Verma Stadium, Kakrola in Najafgarh Zone.
The main objective of launching this academy is to provide excellent sports infrastructure to the children of rural areas so that their ‘hidden’ talent for football can come to the fore, it said.
In order to improve the sports infrastructure for the students in the schools of South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the Education Department has started a Football Academy at Dr Sahib Singh Verma Stadium in Kakrola, it said.
To ensure smooth functioning of the newly started academy, four football coaches and assistants have been engaged under the SDMC’s early created Sports Cell, it said.
“The project has been kicked off by creating four clusters. The need of the hour is to create sports facilities for the students of rural and disadvantaged sections studying in the corporation schools. Physical development of students would also be ensured by including sports in the curriculum at primary level. On the other hand, there will be growth in the field of professional sports in the country,” it said.
South Corporation, under the project, has made four clusters in Kakrola, Jharoda, Pochanpur and Surhera in Najafgarh Zone and there will be three schools in each cluster.
“Initially, students of schools located at Kakrola-I, Kakrola-II, Ghasipura, Jharoda Boys, Jharoda Girls, Dichaon Bal, Dichaun Girls, Pochanpur Girls and Pochanpur Boys have been included in this project. These children will be given training from 4 pm to 7 pm at Kakrola Stadium.
“South DMC, as part of the project, has also organised a football training camp for as many as 60 teachers of Najafgarh Zone so that all these teachers could motivate children from their respective schools to turn up to the stadium to take part in sports activities. This is the first ever occasion when the civic body has started such a sports academy for the children of its schools. South DMC will organise matches under this project and, in future, sports activities like cricket, athletics, table tennis, kho-kho, para games, etc will also be included,” it said.
