India relies on 'football spirit' campaign

Lucknow (T2N2) School and college authorities in the capital of Uttar Pradesh have launched a special campaign to inculcate the "football spirit" in the region.


Coming as it does at the fag end of the football World Cup in Germany, the campaign is one of many drives undertaken across the country to help India qualify for the 2010 edition of the FIFA championships.

Officials admit it's a tough task, given that many youngsters here still refer to the goalkeeper as the wicket-keeper.

"It's the cricket syndrome. Everyone here is obsessed with cricket. But we feel things could certainly change in four years," says Pratap Verma, principal of the New Dawn school here.

Sports coaches feel that inculcating a football spirit among youngsters through classes and training camps is the first step towards finding new talent to replace the ageing national football team.

They also agree that despite the football craze in Goa and West Bengal, the game needs to be popularised in other states to give it a more national outlook. (T2N2)