PM Modi calls for every Indian child to play football ahead of U-17 WC

Ever since India beat Azerbaijan, Ireland, and Uzbekistan to the hosting rights of the upcoming U-17 World Cup, the hype surrounding the event has been building up slowly. As the host, India will also participate in the U-17 World Cup for the first time in their history. The opening ceremony of the event will be on October 6 later this year and it will be played across Kolkata, Kochi, New Delhi, Mumbai, Guwahati, Margao.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now thrown his weight behind, what will be, India’s most important football tournament, the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017. In a statement released earlier today, Modi has spoken about successfully hosting the event, and hoping that it can act as a catalyst for change in the nation. Modi went on to mention the Mission XI Million program, and he expects the program to take football to every corner of the nation.

“FIFA U17 World Cup India 2017 must be a catalyst for change, the tipping point for football in the country, which can only be done by creating a mass movement around it. The objective is to give an opportunity to every child in the country to play football,” Modi said in his official statement.