KISS to Become Knowledge, Logistical Hub of FIFA’s ‘Football For School’ Initiative

Bhubaneswar-based Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) has unrolled
itself back to international glory in the field of sports. None other than the
FIFA, world’s premier governing body for football, showed the willingness to
realign its ties with the KISS with the objective to strengthen the cooperation
in the ‘Football For School’ initiative in Odisha and later to make a pan-India
outreach in South Asia as well.

A letter of intent has been signed in this regard between Youri Djorkaeff,
CEO, FIFA Foundation, and Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KISS. The document
broadly sets out terms for both entities to commit to investigating avenues of
opportunity together – particularly concerning the extension of the Football
for Schools programme, which is already active across ten FIFA Member
Associations, said a statement.

FIFA has selected KISS as the nodal agency for the promotion of football as
it was encouraged by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s big emphasis on
promoting sports as a whole.

In October last year, KISS announced the launch of India’s first-ever FIFA
Football for School Programme in association with FIFA.

The latest development seeks to take the engagement between FIFA and KISS,
a KIIT constituent, to a new level. According to the letter, KISS will act as
knowledge hubs for Football for Schools training, and logistical hubs for
Football for Schools balls distribution.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Djorkaeff said: “It is with great pride and
excitement that today we sign this letter of intent with the Kalinga Institute
of Social Sciences. FIFA Foundation’s Football for Schools programme was
launched to positively impact the lives of 700 million children.

“Football is the global game, and we have already seen the power it has to
unite, inspire, and educate in every corner of the world through the work
already done by this programme. I am certain the collaboration we have set in
motion today with help enhance that further still and I welcome the
opportunities it will undoubtedly bring to millions of children across the
region,” Dr. Samanta said in his reaction. Dr. Samanta praised Chief Minister
for promoting sports in a big way in the State and being a constant source of
encouragement for all sportspersons. Also Football aficionados and lovers of
the game have welcomed the FIFA-KISS latest initiative and congratulated Dr.
Samanta for the collaboration.

“The programme is on its way to achieving that goal and is active in South
America, Africa, East Asia, the Caribbean, and the Arab world. The partnership
we are officialising here today is the next step on the journey in India and
South Asia,” he said

About KISS:

KISS is the world’s largest fully free residential school and university
for indigenous children, with 30,000 residential students and 30,000 studying
on satellite campuses. It has already provided a platform for many
sportspersons with state-of-the-art facilities.

Swiss Member of Parliament Dr. Niklaus Samuel Gugger is the Global
Ambassador of KISS.

Media Contact:
Dr. Shradhanjali Nayak
director.pr@kiit.ac.in
+91 674 2725636

Photo:
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1821807/Dr_Achyuta_Samanta_Youri_Djorkaeff_Sign_MoU.jpg

Source: KIIT