New Delhi, Sep 29: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has recently organised the 'Futsal for All' initiative, comprising fun-filled activities, small-sided games and workshops, to increase participation and awareness of the sport across the country. Spread over several Indian states, as many as 3,415 participants, along with 314 volunteers had the opportunity to play in 5v5 games as well as join other initiatives promoting futsal, the AIFF informed on Thursday. The 'Futsal for All' initiative is aimed at maximising inclusivity by hosting matches and activities for children, young adults, senior members of society and those with disabilities.PM Narendra Modi Congratulates Sunil Chhetri on Getting Honoured by FIFA As 3rd Highest Active Men Goal Scorer of Football in World

Participants, who registered for the event, were provided with attractive giveaways such as futsal balls, customized futsal bibs, branding material as well as certificates of recognition, which were also presented to volunteers, organisers, and various stakeholders, said a report on the AIFF website. The AIFF is trying to improve the foundations of futsal and has been systematically curating activities to encourage more people to develop an interest in the sport.

These activities range from introducing the AFC Futsal Coach Education courses and organising online and physical workshops for Futsal referees and launching a Futsal Club Championship for the senior men's category. Futsal has also been included in the AIFF's Golden Baby League programme which is a player development initiative for children in the U-6 to U-12 categories.

AIFF President and former national team player Kalyan Chaubey said: "Futsal is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and we want to step up our efforts to spread its popularity rapidly in India in the near future. We look forward to continued support from FIFA, the AFC and SAFF for the development of the game." Echoing his sentiments, the General Secretary of the AIFF, Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran added: "We are very pleased to share the success story of Futsal for All. We are serious about developing futsal in India and will soon announce our plans to grow the futsal landscape in our country."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2022 11:25 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).