All India Football Federation in association with the Government of India will host a Mission XI Million mega football festival in Ahmadabad on April 8.
An initiative undertaken by AIFF president and chairman of the LOC for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, Praful Patel, the event will see local schools from the city of Ahmedabad present at the festival.
They will engage in a variety of activities including exhibition games. The students will get an opportunity to show off the skills they have learned through the Mission XI Million programme at their schools, and will later be felicitated.
Former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia and Bollywood stars Abhishek Bachchan, part owner of Chennayin FC and Hrithik Roshan, part owner of FC Pune City, will also be present at the event.
Speaking about the football festival, Patel said, "What we are trying to do with Mission XI Million would pave a new path for Indian football.
"I am confident that the legacy created by the FIFA U-17 World Cup and this school contact programme will be everlasting. The efforts of our Hon'ble Minister of State for Sports, Mr Vijay Goel and youth icons like Mr Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan and Bhaichung Bhutia will only spur kids to engage in the beautiful game."
Mission XI Million aims at getting at least 11 million children in contact with the beautiful game, leading up to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in October.
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