BHUBANESWAR 15-May-2013 210
Around 100 boys and girls from Cuttack, Puri and Bhubaneswar observed the Asian Football Confederation Grassroots Day by participating in an under-12 grassroots football festival, which was conducted by former India woman football captain Sradhanjali Samantaray here at Kalinga Stadium today.
``The purpose of the festival is to educate children about football and popularise the sport at the grassroots level,`` informed Samantaray, the lone footballer from the state to have undergone the AIFF grassroots development course earlier this year at Kalyani.
The three-hour-long programme, which was organised with the support of Football Association of Odisha and Bhubaneswar Athletic Association, featured skill tests such as zigzag running, target hitting, dribbling and five-a-side competitions.
The children immensely enjoyed the programme and the skills dished out by some among them were amazing. ``We have spotted 30 talents from the festival and a coaching camp for them will be conducted here from May 25,`` announced Samantaray.
Football coaches Mohammad Shahid Jabbar, Nadda Kishore Patnaik, Raj Kamal Mandal, Bijoy Kanungo, Abani Mohanty, Sarita Jayanti Behera, Mamata Samanta, international woman hurdler Anuradha Biswal, OCS consultant VSN Rao, FAO vice-president Bhakta Ballav Das and Nalco sports officer Sudersan Tarai extended helping hands for the successful conduct of the festival, which was sponsored by NALCO and OMC.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO: Boys and girls at the U-12 Grassroots Football Festival in Bhubaneswar on May 15, 2013.
