By IANS,
New Delhi : World soccer body FIFA has roped in former French international Vikas Dhorasoo to help Indian football.
The Frenchman, with roots in India and Mauritius, met FIFA officials last week in Zurich to discuss his role in the Win in India with India, launched by FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2007.
“I’ve got a footballing project in India on the go. We felt there was a desire from the world of football and FIFA in particular to turn its focus towards this country. So I wanted to meet the people in Zurich to see how we can work together on this project,” Dhorasoo was quoted as saying by the official website of the the world body.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF), however, is in the dark about Dhorasoo’s role in development projects in India.
“Everything is at the preliminary stage. We have no information about his role,” AIFF general secretary Alberto Colaco told IANS.
Dhorasoo, who has played for clubs like Bordeaux, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, made the headlines when he became the first player of Indian origin to play in the World Cup in 2006 alongside French stars like Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Patrick Viera, Claude Makelele and Henry Thierry.
“I was labelled as the first player with Indian blood to take part in a World Cup. Even though I didn’t play much, France reached the final and I became more famous. And that coincided with a period during which Indians were focusing more on the West and on football. On coming here to FIFA, I’ve been delighted to see how FIFA’s perspective on football in India corresponds with my own vision of things. I have the impression that in every country in which FIFA chooses to start up a project, there is also a social component to it, and I like that,” he said.