Imphal, February 23: In a bid to promote sports activities in the North East, the Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said that they are looking forward to setting up a world class football academy in Manipur.
Rathore said, "These students have come from Sajik Tampak village in Chandel district of Manipur. These students are from different schools and I have been told that they have come outside of their village for the first time."
He added, "They all wanted the government to do something for the development of football in the state. In India's FIFA Under-17 team, eight players were from Manipur alone. But surprisingly those eights players got trained outside Manipur. It shows that the state is in a dire need of a football academy."
"So the sports ministry, with the help of Manipur Government, will develop a world-class football academy here," the 2004 Olympic medallist notified.
Meanwhile, Rathore also appreciated the national integration imitative and said that the initiative would provide exposure to the students.
"This will help them to dream big and achieve great things in life," the Sports Minister said.