Hn_Ani2_Newdelhi_Former_Indian_Football_Team_13-34-20

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Transcript

00:00The youth here at the Vixit Bharat program, your words on connecting with the youth taking

00:26their views?

00:27I think the entire program today was a lot of youth came up with their ideas and plans

00:31to take sports forward and that was the discussion what we had, panel discussion as well and

00:36also got to hear a lot of young enthusiasts, sports enthusiasts to see that India becomes

00:42a sporting nation.

00:43And in that I think my suggestion was that obviously Minister of State also was, Minister

00:50of State also was present here so my advice was I think it's important that the Education

00:54Ministry and the Sports and Youth Ministry has to sit together to make sure that our

00:59education policy supports sports in a bigger way because if you look at today's education

01:04system that does not really allow a lot of kids who are so passionate and talented to

01:09become world champions, does not have that kind of support because of the education system

01:14what we are in.

01:16I think if this can be worked out and the kids get more time, more time to play, more

01:21tournaments to participate then I think that's where we'll be able to get in.

01:25And also I think we should start sports school that is what also put in an advice and there

01:32were a lot of people from different states also advising that we need to have sports

01:37school in different states which is completely focused on sports and there is a part of education

01:43academics as well.

01:44Sir, March we had the AFC Asian Cup qualification, how are you looking forward to it?

01:47I think it should not be very difficult, we are not in that difficult group.

01:51AFC Asian Cup we've been qualifying regularly, I think the first time we qualified was under

01:56my captainship, we qualified then after 24 years and from then on I think we've been

02:01regular in Asia, qualifying into Asia Cup and this is the minimum thing we should be

02:07doing.

02:08If we don't qualify for the Asia Cup then again Indian football will be pushed so behind.

02:13I think it does not look tough, the group is not very, very tough but it's not going

02:18to be easy, we'll have to work hard for it and I think we will qualify for the Asia Cup.