Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, presided over the kick-off programme on Sunday for the distribution of FIFA footballs as part of the Football for Schools (F4S) at PM Kendriya Vidyalaya, Fort William, Kolkata, West Bengal.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Education and the All India Football Federation (AIFF). At the event 2487 FIFA footballs were distributed to 349 schools in Kolkata district. The programme was organised in 21 Kendriya Vidyalayas, simultaneously, covering all districts of West Bengal. In total, 88113 footballs will be distributed across the state.
Minister of State for Education and Development of the North Eastern Region, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar; Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur; Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education (DoSEL), Sanjay Kumar; Joint Secretary, DoSEL, Smt. Archana Sharma Awasthi; officials of the Ministry along with other distinguished dignitaries and eminent sportspersons were also present at the event. Sports captains (Boys and Girls) of the school shared their thoughts during the event.
88,000 footballs will be distributed in West Bengal alone
While speaking at the event, Dharmendra Pradhan shared that, as part of the initiative, footballs would be simultaneously distributed to students in 21 Kendriya Vidyalayas across the state today. He noted that over 88,000 footballs will be distributed in West Bengal alone, benefiting nearly 15 to 16 lakh children.
Expressing his personal love for the sport, he emphasized that even a single football in a small school can inspire children to engage with the game and develop a genuine passion for playing. He further highlighted that approximately 10 lakh footballs will be distributed to schools across the country, aiming to boost participation in football and nurture a strong sporting culture among students. The Minister also kicked off an exhibition football match between two teams at the school.
In his address, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar emphasized that NEP 2020 envisions sports and other co-curricular activities as integral components of a holistic education. Dr. Majumdar further noted that NEP 2020 accords equal importance to academics and sports, promoting well-rounded development among students. A healthy body nurtures a healthy mind, and engaging in sports like football plays a vital role in helping children adopt and sustain a healthy lifestyle, he said.
F4S programme aims to promote football at the grassroots level
The Football for Schools (F4S) programme, spearheaded by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), aims to promote football at the grassroots level by making the sport more accessible to students within the school system. In India, the programme is implemented by the DoSEL, with support from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
Under the F4S program, FIFA is contributing more than 9.6 lakh footballs for school students of India besides 129 other countries (as of January 2025). Building on the success of earlier rollouts in states like Odisha in 2024, the F4S program in West Bengal is part of a nationwide movement underscoring India’s commitment to nurturing a sporting culture from the school level.