"Sonowal met FIFA officials who had come for stadium inspection for the upcoming U-17 FIFA World Cup, 2017 along with the AIFF officials at Nehru Stadium. They discussed briefly regarding the progress of the development towards hosting the event for the first time in India," a release from the Sports Authority of India said.
"Sonowal assured full support of the Ministry and will have a detailed discussion with the officials at a later date. So far, 7 venues have been confirmed to host the matches," the release added.
Over 60 teams of blind sportspersons from 14 states are participating in the four-day event. The meet is the largest national sports event for the blind in the country and is held every two years. This year's meet will have 600 participants, including officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal said, "It is really a matter of pride that National Blind Sports Association is contributing towards bringing the visually impaired youth in the main-stream of the society through sports. I am sure that through sports, the young people will prove their mettle and achieve excellence not only in the field of sports but also in other professions."