Kerala seeks football collaboration with Argentina
State Sports Minister V Abdurahiman, who is currently in Madrid, said on Friday that the collaboration with AFA will be a huge investment for Kerala and expressed his desire to make this a reality as soon as possible
PTI
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Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman with Argentine Football Association office-bearers in Madrid, Spain. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/V Abdurahiman
Thiruvananthapuram, 6 Sept
Football-crazy Kerala is seeking
collaboration with the Argentine Football Association (AFA), with a high-level
delegation headed by State Sports Minister V Abdurahiman holding a meeting with
its office-bearers in Madrid, Spain.
In a Facebook post, Abdurahiman,
who is currently in Madrid, said on Friday that the collaboration with AFA will
be a huge investment for Kerala and expressed his desire to make this a reality
as soon as possible. "The possibility of considering Kerala as a venue for
international friendly matches was discussed. As part of this, the association
representatives expressed interest in visiting Kerala soon. AFA also expressed
interest in setting up football academies in Kerala in collaboration with the
state government," he said.
According to the minister, the AFA
said that the Argentine fan community in Kerala has always been warmly
welcomed.
Commenting on their meeting, the
AFA said: "Together with the delegation from the Government of Kerala,
headed by V Abdurahiman, Minister of Sports, we had the opportunity to share
initiatives and projects that will surely materialize in the short term."
In recent years, the association
has established itself as one of the most important and popular sports brands
in this strategic market through its global expansion strategy, it said in a
statement. "In this context, our institution is working on developing
sports and commercial projects in different parts of the country, with the aim
of continuing to expand our brand and being closer to the fans of the Argentine
National Team in India," it added. The AFA also thanked the Government of
Kerala for "this important visit."
Meanwhile, the Abdurahiman-led
delegation also visited various sports development centres in Madrid and met
with officials from the Spanish Higher Sports Council.
A discussion was held on the
Spanish Higher Sports Council's participation in the growth of Kerala's sports
economy, the minister said. "Serious discussions were held on upgrading
existing training centres in the state to world-class standards, developing
soft skills in the sports sector alongside excellence, and providing job
opportunities to those who acquire expertise," Abdurahiman said.
He added that discussions were also
held on ensuring mutual participation in the sports institute to be started at
Calicut University. Sports Secretary Pranab Jyothinath and Sports Director
Vishnu Raj are also part of the delegation.
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