Praful Patel Biography

The All India Football Federation has taken several important measures for the development of the sport in the country. Over the years, some of the pertinent steps have been taken and the commercialization of the ISL and the I-League stands out as some of the pivotal factors. Recently, Manchester United and English legendary footballer Rio Ferdinand is on a visit to India. The objective of bringing Ferdinand to India revolves around providing the youngsters with valuable inputs on the game. 

As the President of the All India Football Federation minister Praful Patel has pursued a variety of proactive measures for the development of the game in the country. The initiative to bring Ferdinand to India has been taken by British broadcast giant BT sports.

 Along with Rio Ferdinand, former English professional footballer turned sports columnist Robbie Savage is also on a visit to India. As one of the talismanic defenders from England, Ferdinand has an intensive knowledge on football and it  is the perfect opportunity for the youngsters to derive the best inputs from him. As a part of the visit to the capital city of Delhi, Ferdinand stepped into the Arsenal Football School. 

During his stint with Manchester United and England, Ferdinand was quite well known for his defensive skills and also the ability to score with fine headers upfront. As per the version of Ferdinand, “Like Didier Drogba did for Ivory Coast and yes, Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal, India need that one big player on whom they can build it around.” 

As the AIFF President Praful Patel has taken some of the best measures by roping in foreign players for the ISL and promoted the game at all levels in the country.