Key Points

PM Modi revealed that one of his discussions on football during a podcast with renowned podcaster Lex Fridman reached a global audience.

"A podcast happened with famous podcaster Lex Fridman. A player from Germany heard the podcast and one of the things I talked about caught his attention," the Prime Minister said.

He further stated, "The topic was related to the football craze in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol. It was heard by German footballer and coach Dietmar Beiersdorfer."

"The life journey of young football players of Shahdol impressed and inspired him a lot. Truly, no one had imagined that talented football players from there would attract the attention of other countries. Now, this German coach has offered to train some players from Shahdol at an academy in Germany. After this, the government of Madhya Pradesh has also contacted them. Very soon, some of our young friends from Shahdol will go to Germany for a training course. I am also very happy to see that the popularity of football is constantly on the rise in India. I urge football lovers to visit Shahdol whenever they get time and witness the sporting revolution happening there closely," he added.

Prime Minister earlier revealed during Lex Fridman's show that the passion for the sport in that village is so intense that their annual football match attracts between 20,000 to 25,000 spectators from nearby areas.

The upcoming training stint in Germany is expected to provide Shahdol's young footballers with exposure to world-class techniques, coaching, and infrastructure, further boosting the region's growing passion for the sport.

India, renowned globally for its cricket dominance, has been experiencing a steady increase in football enthusiasm, particularly in regions such as Kerala, West Bengal, and the Northeast.

However, PM Modi's story sheds light on how deeply the sport is ingrained even in lesser-known tribal communities, where football is more than just a game, it's a tradition.

- ANI