German embassy to organise two-day football training camp

New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS) In a bid to strengthen sporting ties between Germany and India, the European nation’s embassy here is organising a two-day football camp to train school children.

The training camp to be held for 100 school kids will be coached by Wynton Rufer, a former player of the famous German club Werder Bremen and three-time winner of the Oceania Footballer of the Century award.

The event will take place from Friday-Saturday at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) grounds.

“My personal dream is that India will kick it like Germany one day – and, who knows, we will see the first football match ever between India and Germany,” German envoy Michael Steiner said while hosting Rufer here.

Apart from the current camp, many German football professionals have been training Indian players in Kolkata and Mumbai.

“India is a cricketing nation and yet, India is starting to get more and more into football. Wynton Rufer and the kids of his camp are the best proof of that,” Steiner said terming the event as a start to “the football diplomacy”.

Interest in football is on the rise in India, with the youth opting for football rather than the more popular sport of cricket.

IANS 2013-01-31 19:30:01