The All India Football Federation (AIFF) in association with the Government of India will host a Mission XI Million (MXIM) mega football festival in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on April 8, 2017 at 17.30 IST.

An initiative taken by AIFF President and Chairman of the LOC for the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, Praful Patel, the event will see local schools from the city of Ahmedabad present at the festival. They will engage in a variety of activities including exhibition games. The students will get an opportunity to show off the skills they have learned through the Mission XI Million programme at their schools, and will later be felicitated.

Former Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia and Bollywood stars Abhishek Bachchan, part owner of Chennaiyin FC and Hrithik Roshan, part owner of FC Pune City, will also be present at the event.

Speaking about the novelty football festival, Mr. Patel said, “What we are trying to do with Mission XI Million would pave a new path for Indian football. I am confident that the legacy created by the FIFA U-17 World Cup and this school contact programme will be everlasting. The efforts of our Hon’ble Minister of State for Sports, Mr. Vijay Goel and youth icons like Mr. Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan and Baichung Bhutia will only spur kids to engage in the beautiful game.”

An AIFF and Indian government product, Mission XI Million aims at getting at least eleven million children in contact with the beautiful game of football, leading up to the FIFA U-17 World Cup which will be held in India in 2017. The programme signifies the efforts of AIFF and the government to bring football closer to children and ensure it’s development.

(Report & Photo courtesy: AIFF Media)