Yadav: ‘U-17 World Cup will trigger a lot of dreams’

Dreams wait to be fulfilled when the Indian team takes the field at the FIFA U-17 World Cup here on October 6. Watching them from the galleries will be Abhishek Yadav among many who would have aspired to experience this alluring platform.

Abhishek Yadav is excited to experience the moment when the kick off sets the tournament in motion.

Dreams wait to be fulfilled when the Indian team takes the field at the FIFA U-17 World Cup here on October 6. Watching them from the galleries will be Abhishek Yadav among many who would have aspired to experience this alluring platform.

“You need an event to figure out the magnitude of the sport. Young men have dreamt of this and this first appearance in a World Cup is going to transform the way football is perceived in our country. There will be pressure no doubt but I know the boys shall perform and raise expectations for the future,” said the former India striker, who is also the Chief Operating Officer for the Indian squad in the U-17 World Cup.

Yadav is excited to experience the moment when the kick off sets the tournament in motion. “This World Cup being hosted by India will trigger lot of dreams. More and more players and more and more parents will start seeing football as a serious career.”

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Yadav was part of the scouting process for the Indian team. “We have a couple of players of Indian origin (goalkeeper Sunny Dhaliwal and defender Namit Deshpande). Each member brings value to the process. India is a vast country and this team is a collective effort to take the game to all corners. I am confident the boys would fight till the last minute. They need the support of the fans and the media in this grand venture,” noted Yadav.

The World Cup experience should boost the image of the game. “These boys have worked hard. Their training and preparation has been top class. Most of them are natural athletes and have the physique and the attitude to take on the best. They will be competing on the strength of nation’s support. That to me is going to be a vital ingredient of the journey.”

The World Cup, emphasised Yadav, would help football acquire the necessary infrastructure to boost the game. “After the World Cup I am sure new players will take up the game. It is going to be a huge moment for India. Indian football has waited for such a moment.”