Carles Puyol said that he was excited and curious about India ahead of his maiden visit to the country. Puyol, who will be the special guest when tickets for the U-17 World Cup go live, said “I’m really drawn to the culture of India, its traditional medicine, its food and, of course, the way football is developing there, which is one of the main reasons behind my visit.”
He urged the fans to come out in numbers and experience the game, “You can feel the intensity and energy when you’re there in person. And at this tournament, you can see the stars of the future. I’m sure that those who attend will remember it and get hooked by the sport.” he said, talking to FIFA.com.
Puyol will be a part of the Mission XI Million project, and he praised the project saying sports is valuable for learning life values, “The values that are passed on through sport accompany you throughout the rest of your life. It’s a wonderful opportunity for children to learn values such as empathy, and how to work really hard as a team towards a common goal. The children will have to deal with things like losing matches and motivating their team-mates, as well as trying to be magnanimous when they win. These are the life lessons that sport gives you.”
The World Cup winner also said that U-17 World Cup is a great opportunity for the players to compete at the highest level, “. Besides offering a great opportunity to compete at the highest levels in these age categories, it prepares you for the professional stage of your career. But for those who aren’t fortunate enough to take part, it’s not the be all and end all. I never played at U-17 level or below, but I went on to have a long professional career that I’m very proud of.” Puyol said while signing off.
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