MP to send tribal-dominated Shahdol’s promising footballers to Brazil for training

Bhopal, Sep 2 In a major move for Madhya Pradesh’s sports development, the state government has decided to send promising football talents from the tribal-dominated Shahdol district to Brazil for specialised training.

The first batch of footballers will be sent soon, once an agreement is finalised between the Centre and a Brazilian football club, Madhya Pradesh Urban Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayavargiya said on Tuesday.

The cabinet, led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, took this decision during its meeting on Tuesday.

Briefing the media persons about the cabinet’s decision, Vijayavargiya said, “The Centre will sign an agreement with a football club in Brazil, and once the required formalities are completed, the state government will send the first batch of footballers for training.”

The decision came two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his national programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on Sunday, described how his recent podcast conversation with podcaster Lex Fridman caught the attention of a German football coach, prompting him to offer coaching to the young footballers of Shahdol.

The Prime Minister mentioned that a podcaster had created an opportunity for the budding footballers of the tribal-dominated Shahdol district in Madhya Pradesh to train under the renowned German football coach, Dietmar Beiersdorfer.

During the latest ‘Mann Ki Baat’, PM Modi said that the German coach was deeply impressed by the life and journey of the young football players from Shahdol.

He studied the matter and then approached the German Embassy in India with an offer to coach these football players in Shahdol.

The Prime Minister also mentioned that some of them would soon travel to Germany for training under the German coach.

The Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday expressed gratitude to PM Modi for providing an opportunity to the upcoming footballers of Shahdol district.

“It is truly a significant moment, not just for Shahdol but for the entire sports sector of Madhya Pradesh. It will inspire players across the state to elevate their game,” Vijayavargiya said.

Bicharpur village in Shahdol district, once notorious for drug addiction among local youths, has transformed into a “Mini Brazil,” producing footballers of national repute, thanks to Raees Ahmed, a former player and coach.

He brought together local tribal boys, many of whom had fallen into alcohol and drug addiction, and trained them as footballers under an initiative called ‘Football Kranti’.

The programme has since produced 40 national and state-level players and sparked the creation of around 1,500 football clubs across the villages of Shahdol district.

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