HFA, FICCI sign MoU with Dutch football club

New Delhi, Feb 25 (PTI) Ado Den Haag, a club based in theNetherlands, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)with the Haryana Football Association and FICCI to help thestate improve and popularise the sport.

The club''s coach, technical advisor and administratoralong with their under-16 team will be arriving in Haryana onFebruary 27.

As part of the agreement, the Dutch club will help thestate open football academies at grassroot level, holdworkshops for coaches, referees, administrators in Haryanafootball and update them on the most modern methods ofcoaching among other initiatives.

The club''s under-16 team will play matches in differentparts of Haryana, including the rural areas.

The club is scheduled to play in Faridabad on March 1,Badli, a village in Jhajjar district, on March 3, Rohtak onMarch 5 and Gurgaon on March 8.

"For the past five years, we have had excellence atsenior levels in both men and women disciplines. This is theright time for us to do something fruitful at the youthlevel," said HFA secretary Sunil Bhardwaj.

Founded in 1905, ADO Den Haag won the Dutch nationaltitle in 1942 and 1943, and the KNVB Cup in 1968 and 1975.

Their greatest moment, however, came in 1976 when they beatWest Ham United in the quarter-final of the European Cup atHague. A 1-3 defeat in London, however, meant elimination.

"With this MOU between HFA, FICCI and Ado Den Haagfootball club, we are expecting our youth structure to todevelop. Ado Den Haag is one of the leading football clubs inthe Netherlands and their merger with us will definitelyimprove the game at the grassroot level. FICCI will play asignificant role in providing financial assistance," Bhardwajsaid.