Virender Sehwag congratulates the U-17 Indian Football Team on their victory against Italy

With the IPL season coming to an end, it is certianly time to change the game, to give Football the respect and viewership it deserves. But when does a sport actually garner popularity? It is only when the national side goes onto to do something worthwhile at the international level do kids have someone to look upto. ‘Heroes’ make a game flourish and wins at the international level help formulate these heroes.

The U-17 Indian Football Team has kicked off its preparations for the U-17 World Cup at home in style, by beating Italy 2-0 in their own backyard. The stars of the future have the set the ball rolling as far as the U-17 World Cup is concerned, as the nation would be taking notice of this unprecedented victory over a country that has had such rich history of footballing laurels.

Also Read: Huge update on the Kochi venue for the FIFA U-17 World Cup

The grass root development programmes that have been put in by the various I-League, ISL and European teams is helping Indian football grow in the right way. Kids are being exposed to right training methods, the importance of diet, and most importantly parents are being made aware of the possibilities of a career in football for their child. Football isn’t limited to just a recreational activity anymore, it is much more.

The nation gathered to congratulate the U-17 team on this brilliant win against such European heavyweights. Virender Sehwag too was quick to jump on the bandwagon and came up with a quirky little Sehwag-esque tweet to congratulate the young team on their amazing achievement.

Mohammad Kaif too took to Twitter to express his jubilation of India’s win

With so many Indian celebrities endorsing the U-17 World Cup, and with our young boys delivering on the field as well, it looks as if the U-17 World Cup will prove to be a stepping stone for Indian Football, a way to take the sport to the next level.