January 02, 2026 09:09 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
New Year horror in Switzerland: Dozens feared dead in Crans-Montana bar explosion | Tobacco stocks crushed as govt slaps fresh excise duty from Feb 1 | Vodafone Idea shares explode 10% after surprise settlement and govt relief boost | No third party involved: India govt sources refute China’s Operation Sindoor ceasefire claim | Amit Shah blasts TMC over border fencing; Mamata fires back on Pahalgam and Delhi blast | 'A profound loss for Bangladesh politics': Sheikh Hasina mourns Khaleda Zia’s death | PM Modi mourns Khaleda Zia’s death, hails her role in India-Bangladesh ties | Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia passes away at 80 | India rejects Pakistan’s Christmas vandalism remarks, cites its ‘abysmal’ minority record | Minority under fire: Hindu houses torched in Bangladesh village

AIFF President Praful Patel meets U-17 WC team at training session

| @indiablooms | Oct 06, 2017, at 08:43 am
New Delhi, Oct 6 (IBNS) All India Football President Praful Patel paid a visit to the Indian U-17 National Team’s training session at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the Capital on Thursday ahead of the U-17 FIFA World Cup match against USA.

“You need to enjoy the moment,” he told the boys. “The entire Country is rooting for you,” he added.

In the past few days, celebrities from all spheres of life right from Virat Kohli to Akshay Kumar to Sunil Chhetri to Mithali Raj to Varun Dhawan to VVS Laxman amongst others have poured in their best wishes for the National Team on social media handles.

Pointing up to the stands, Mr. Patel stated: “There will be around 50000 people in the stands shouting for you. Don’t put any pressure on yourself. Play your heart out,” he pronounced.

Patel met all the boys individually, greeted Coach Luis Norton de Matos and had a chat with Abhishek Yadav, Executive Committee member, also the COO of the U-17 National Team.

The Team presented  Patel with a National Team jersey with his name inscribed on the back.

The players obviously were floored by the gesture. Winger Komal Thattal said: “It is such an inspiration for all of us to have him at the training session. We thank him for being here,” he said.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.