New Delhi (The Hawk): The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, in collaboration with All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has launched the ambitious Football for Schools (F4S) programme of FIFA for school students across the country. The programme aims to significantly broaden the accessibility of football for students, regardless of gender, within the school setting, while seamlessly integrating football-related activities into the education system in collaboration with various stakeholders. Under the programme, on 9th February 2024, 6848 footballs were distributed to 1260 Schools of 17 Districts of Odisha. The footballs were distributed from Nodal district NVS with the presence of local dignitaries from various fields.
The kick-off of the distribution of balls was launched by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan on 2nd December 2023 from JNV Cuttack, Odisha. Further, the footballs were distributed in the districts of Angul, Dhenkanal and Deogarh in Odisha; and Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in a phased manner.
An MoU was earlier signed between the Ministry of Education, AIFF and FIFA on 30 October 2022. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya is the Nodal organization for the F4S programme.
Under this programme, more than 11 lakh FIFA footballs are to be distributed throughout the country in a phased manner. More than 1.50 lakh schools will benefit from this programme. As a part of the programme, to enhance capacity building, recently the department has conducted a master training programme at 3 venues, viz., Sambalpur, Pune and Bengaluru where around 300 physical education teachers/trainees from States/UTs, KVS, NVS and AIFF across India participated with an aim to learn from the best and further use their training and skills as Master Trainers at State level for further capacity building in the field.
F4S aims to contribute to the education, development, and empowerment of around 700 million children across the world. It seeks to make football more accessible to both boys and girls by incorporating football activities into the education system, in partnership with relevant authorities and stakeholders.
Through the F4S programme, the aim has also been to significantly broaden the accessibility of football for students, regardless of gender, within the school setting, while seamlessly integrating football-related activities into the education system in collaboration with various stakeholders. By fostering partnerships at different levels, the programme wishes to instil a sense of enthusiasm for the sport, laying the foundation for a lasting sports culture that goes beyond individual schools. It will not only introduce the joy of playing football to students but also infuse values of teamwork, discipline, and fitness, contributing to their holistic development.
