Prime Minister Narendra Modi lately appeared on a YouTube podcast present, the place he stunned followers along with his love and information for soccer. Talking to American AI researcher Lex Fridman, Modi spoke on a number of subjects, and in addition shared his opinion on the likes of Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.
Narendra Modi revealed the placement of India’s ‘Mini-Brazil’.(PTI/AFP)
Modi may probably be a fan of the Argentine nationwide workforce throughout World Cups, as he picked Maradona as the most effective within the earlier technology, and Messi for the present period.
Indian soccer’s ‘Mini-Brazil’
He additionally shared an fascinating story a few village in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district, often called ‘Mini-Brazil’ resulting from its deeply-rooted and intense soccer tradition.
“There’s a district called Shahdol, a completely tribal region where a large tribal community resides. When I visited, I noticed around 80 to 100 young boys and even older youth, all dressed in sports uniforms,” he stated.
“I asked them, ‘Where are you all from?’ and they replied, ‘We’re from Mini Brazil.’ Surprised, I asked why, and they explained, ‘In our village, football has been played for four generations. Nearly 80 national-level players have come from here. Our entire village is dedicated to football.
“They told me that during their annual football match, nearly 20,000 to 25,000 spectators come from nearby villages to watch,” he added.
Modi additionally handed his verdict on the way forward for Indian soccer, and felt that it may develop to large heights. “I see the growing craze for football in India these days as a positive sign because it not only fuels passion, but also builds true team spirit,” he stated.
However elsewhere, realistically talking, soccer has been experiencing a downward spiral in India. The nationwide workforce has been poor and head coach Manolo Marquez was lately pressured to recall legend Sunil Chhetri from retirement. Chhetri introduced his retirement from worldwide soccer final yr, however India are but to discover a substitute for him.