India's FIFA U-17 World Cup campaign came to a harsh end when the hosts were thrashed by two-time champions Ghana 0-4 in the last Group A game in New Delhi on Thursday
India's FIFA U-17 World Cup campaign came to a harsh end when the hosts were thrashed by two-time champions Ghana 0-4 in the last Group A game in New Delhi on Thursday. A splendid showing of grit and exceptional talent by Amarjit Singh and Co. has left an impression on every Indian fan, particularly in Kolhapur, the Blue colts ace striker Aniket Jadhav's hometown.
Players from Kolhapur cheer along during a FIFAâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088U-17 World Cup match at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa yesterday
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Around 2000 players (boys and girls) including young kids from different clubs of Kolhapur specially travelled to the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Fatorda (Goa) to witness both matches (Iran vs Costa Rica and Brazil vs Niger) where world class skills were on display.
Forty buses arranged
To facilitate the travel, Kolhapur Sports Association's patron Maloji Raje Chatrapati, who is also the vice-president of Western India Football Association, arranged 40 buses and bought tickets for all the children. “We wanted to give our youngsters an experience of watching international matches from the stadium. These are budding footballers. We arranged for match tickets, breakfast, lunch and dinner as well. The total amount spent was around R15 lakh,” Maloji Raje told mid-day yesterday. Among the group was Rohan Adnaik (24), who represented Churchill Brothers in the I-League last season.
'Thrilling experience'
“It was a thrilling experience for the boys. Some of them are just 14 to 16 years old. After watching today's game they have already started comparing themselves to the international players. This visit will have a huge impact on their mindset,” Adnaik said. With Aniket as inspiration, Raje believes more such talent can be spotted from Kolhapur. “Aniket has become a role model. We want to see more players like him represent the country in future. This will be an exposure for them to get motivated by watching how the Brazilians and other teams play at this level,” he added.
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