AIFF, Kalmadi hail PM for batting for soccer in Brazil

New Delhi, Sep 13 (UNI) All India Football Federation (AIFF) today expressed its gratitude to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for signing a MoU with Brazil to revive soccer's sagging fortune in the country.

In a release here today, AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco said, ''All India Football Federation is grateful to honourable Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for taking up the development of football in India and signing MoU to this effect with the Governmetn of Brazil.'' Training of Indian coaches and players under the collaboration would improve the skills of the players and would boost the game in the country, Mr Colaco added.

Mr Singh, currently on a twin tour of Brazil and Cuba, told reporters that he was requested by cabinet colleague and Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, also the AIFF president, to seek Brazil's support in this regard.

Meanwhile, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi also hailed Dr Singh for coming forward to promote sports.

''I must congratulate the Prime Minister for deciding to discuss this as it will be an enormous boost to Indian sport,'' Mr Kalmadi, also Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games 2010, said.

''The Prime Minister recognises the need for India to do well in sports as it involves the youth of the nation and with India hosting the Commonwealth Games and later Asian Games and hopefully Olympic Games, these kind of arrangements will indeed go a long way in bringing a much-needed sporting culture in India,'' he explained.

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