By IANS
Margao : All India Football Federation (AIFF) president, Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, stressed the need for more training centres in the country while inaugurating the first of its kind here Wednesday.
The AIFF training centre, situated opposite the Nehru Stadium here, is an eye catching two-storeyed structure, which cost the Federation Rs 20 million, can accommodate more than 30 campers.
“All players will be housed here during preparatory National camps,” Dasmunsi told reporters after inaugurating the centre in the presence of Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, National coach Bob Houghton and National captain Bhaichung Bhutia.
The AIFF is now looking at more training centres with the next one most likely to come up at Guwahati.
“I am holding talks with the Assam Government on January 22. If things go well, we will have a training centre at Guwahati by the end of this year,” said Dasmunsi, who is also the Minister for Information and Broadcasting.
Other places that have been identified for training centres include Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata.
“The plan is to have one training centre in every two year,” Dasmunshi disclosed.
The training centre here will first house the under-16 India campers who qualified for the AFC U-16 final round in Uzbekistan later this month after finishing second in the AFC qualifiers in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Dasmunsi hinted that the high-profile National Football Academy, in all probability, would come up in Gurgaon.
“Land has already been identified in Gurgaon,” he told IANS.