Birth anniversary of Indian football legend PK Banerjee to be celebrated as ‘AIFF Grassroots Day’
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) Grassroots Day will be observed on June 23 in honour of the legend of Indian football and captain of the 1960 Rome Olympics, Pradip Kumar Banerjee, whose birthday falls on that date.
According to a statement from AIFF released on Saturday, “June 23, the birth date of Pradip Kumar Banerjee, India’s captain in the 1960 Rome Olympics and known as PK, shall henceforth be honoured as ‘AIFF Grassroots Day.
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In 1969, PK Banerjee, known as the “Football Professor” in international circles, showed his commitment to the growth of the game by participating in FIFA’s first coaching course, which was taught by German coach Dettmar Cramer and was conducted in Japan. PK earned a First-Class degree after passing the course satisfactorily.
The creation of AIFF Grassroots Day is in line with Strategic Roadmap ‘Vision 2047’, which seeks to increase grassroots involvement in Indian football. By 2026, the goal is to get 35 million kids involved in football, and by 2047, the goal is to get 100 million kids involved. In order to broaden the grassroots ecosystem, the Federation has launched the Blue Cubs programme in conjunction with NGOs, educational institutions, clubs, academies, and other stakeholders.