Over ten lakh students across Maharashtra will play football on September 15 as the part of the "Maharashtra Mission-1- Million" initiative, state Sports Minister Vinod Tawde announced here today.
"The initiative will be kicked off by state Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Bombay Gymkhana here by hoisting a flag," Tawde told reporters.
Mumbai's famed Dabbawalas (tiffin carriers), deaf and dumb students, cancer patients will also play football, he said, adding that football matches will be played at Shivaji Park, Oval Ground, Azad Maidan, and at various Gymkhana grounds at Marine Lines in the megalopolis.
The minister said the government's objective is to make students come out and play on the ground.
"In Sangli, students of schools without play grounds have come together and they will be playing football at a stadium on the occasion", he added.
In Pune, inmates of Central Prison will also play football.
Students in Naxal-affected regions of Gadchiroli will also play the game on that day, and the entire atmosphere in the state will be pro-football, Tawde added.
"We have distributed around 90,000 to one lakh footballs in around 30,000 schools in the state," he said.
According to officials of state Sports department, Mumbai Football District Association president Aaditya Thackeray and his team will also play football that day.
They said a football selfie point has been established at the Lonar lake in Buldhana district to create a football buzz, they added.
"We have asked district sports officials to invite sports persons to encourage the students," the officials said.
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