New Delhi, Feb 2 (IANS): The Football for Schools (F4S) programme which kicked off at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Cuttack, Odisha, on December 3 last year has now reached various districts, including Angul, Dhenkanal, and Deogarh in Odisha, North Goa and South Goa in Goa, and also the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

The F4S initiative, launched under the larger project FIFA Football for Schools, is designed to significantly enhance the accessibility of football for students within the school setting, fostering a love for the game and promoting a healthier lifestyle.

It is a transformative journey embarked upon by the Department of School Education & Literacy, in collaboration with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA).

Under the able leadership of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, serving as the Nodal organisation for the F4S programme, this initiative aims to contribute to the education, development, and empowerment of approximately 700 million children globally. The programme seeks to make football more accessible to both boys and girls by integrating football activities into the education system in collaboration with relevant authorities and stakeholders. More than 1.5 lakh schools in India will benefit from this programme, according to information available on AIFF website.

Collaboration, integration, nodal organisation and gender inclusivity are some key highlights of the FIFA F4S programme. The programme, with its multi-dimensional approach, aspires to not only introduce the joy of playing football to students but also instil values of teamwork, discipline, and fitness, contributing to their holistic development.

As a part of the programme, capacity-building/Train-the-Trainer programmes were earlier held in Bengaluru, Pune and Sambalpur in October 2023, where around 300 physical education teachers/trainees from States/UTs, KVS, NVS and AIFF across India participated with an aim to learn from the best and further use their training and skills as Master Trainers at State level.