Reliance Foundation Youth Sports' (RFYS) is committed to transform India into a multi-sports nation in the not too distant future, its chairperson Nita Ambani said here today.
Launching the second edition of RFYS's national football competition here, she said her aim was to create a unified sports structure through the Foundation and have a holistic plan for all major Olympic sports.
"Reliance Foundation Youth Sports was set up to realise the dream of making India a multi-sport nation. It is a unifying structure of school and college competition. We would like to provide viable sports career opportunities for the youth of our country," Nita Ambani said.
She said the RFYS in its first year itself had reached out to two million children and for the next year its goal was to reach out to four million children in the country.
"Last year we reached out to 1,900 educational institutions. Our aim is to reach out to 3,000 institutions this year. That means more children will be playing sports," Nita Ambani, who is also a member of the International Olympic Committee, said.
She said this year itself the foundation is expanding from football to athletics in eight cities, including Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bangaluru.
"Kerala is also part of our athletics plan. We will be covering football and athletics in Kerala also," she said in response to a question from reporters.
She said RFYS would like to provide viable sports career opportunities for the youth of the country.
She described Kerala as a "wonderful place" to kickstart the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports' national football competition.
"I am always being so overwhelmed by the love, the support and the passion the Kerala has for this beautiful game of football," she said.
Ajith Sivan, a 20-year-old student from Kochi, was inducted into the Kerala Blasters team for the upcoming ISL at the launch of the football competition.
"Ajith showcased his skills in the RFYS tournament last year. He proved to be so good and promising that the Blasters have already picked him up," Nita Ambani said.
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