'I want India to play 2022 Football World Cup'

The triumph in Nehru Cup couldn't help Indian team to better its ranking at international level but over joyed All India Football Federation(AIFF) top officials are hoping for the better days of Indian football in future.

Sharing with media the future plans of action, the parent body of Indian football accepted off the record that playing world cup is a herculean task at hand which sounds almost impossible to achieve but they ask for the support from the media and specially from the world body FIFA.

The FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke and the AIFF President Praful Patel have exchanged a ten year project document named Lakshya ranging from 2012 to 2022. And the main emphasis of this joint project is to help India to get the international standard and qualify for the Qatar World Cup in2022.

"We have undertaken a 10-year development program. We are hopeful of qualifying for the World Cup by 2022," the All India Football Federation President Praful Patel told reporters on Wednesday.

"India should be one of the teams to play in Qatar. FIFA has gone out of its way to see that India emerges as a strong footballing nation."

“That proves how serious we are about the 10-year project with India from 2012 to 2022. In between we have the 2017 World Cup bid and India’s aim to qualify for the "2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar,” said Secretary General, FIFA.

According to AIIFF top boss Valcke’s visit stays a very significant one. “We have been fortunate enough to have President Blatter and now Mr. Valcke visiting India in the same year. It depicts FIFA’s interest in developing football in the country.”

“Indian football is poised for a big leap after days of hibernation. We have to start early if we want to grow as a Footballing Nation and develop the grassroots. We need to work on the pyramid and that stays the main objective of the Federation. Unless we have players being nurtured from the age of 12-13 we won’t grow.”

Complementing Patel’s statement, Valcke felt “India stay an integral part in Asia’s development.”

“India has to be one of the centre point of Asia to develop football,” he opined. “There is no football without grassroot programme,” he reiterated. “The U-17 World Cup is the perfect milestone to succeed it.”

Sitting next, Valcke smiled. “It would be a pleasure to serve Indian football. You know I cannot want to see football as the number one sport in the country. Sorry cricket!”

India 169th in Fifa rankings

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'I want India to play 2022 Football World Cup'

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