Team Herald
PANJIM: St Xavier’s College, Mapusa defeated St Alex College 2-0 in the inaugural match in girls category of the OORJA –CAPFs U-19 Football Talent Hunt Tournament, at Athletic Stadium, Bambolim, on Monday.
Governor Smt Mridula Sinha was the chief guest for the opening ceremony and declared the games open.
“Football is the identity of Goa, through this event let it becomes the national identity,” Governor said in her inaugural address.
Cheif Secretary Shri Dharmendra Sharma and DIG CISF Shri Raju were also present for the inauguration ceremony.
“Qualifying for the 2026 Football World cup is the ultimate goal of this tournament,” said Raju.
India is hosting FIFA Under – 19 World Cup in October this year. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has called for the support of not only children, but also parents to encourage boys and girls to play football and develop both skill and fitness. The tournament will be a milestone event in many ways, but perhaps most lasting aspect will be Mission XI Million, which is a grass root programme designed to encourage children to play this popular game.
Keeping in view of the appeal of the Prime Minister, the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been tasked to conduct OORJA, – CAPFs Under-19 Football Talent Hunt Tournament – 2017.
Mission XI Million is a school contact programme that aims at improving the football ecosystem and ultimately widening the talent pool for the national team.
Vying to reach out to over 37 cities and 12,000 schools across all 29 states of India, the initiative will focus on games that can be adapted to different field sizes and conditions, with special emphasis on small-sided games. It is divided into three phases: seminars for teacher and educators, in-school activities and football festivals, which will run up to September.
