Federation declares PK Banerjee's birth anniversary as AIFF Grassroots Day

Category : Important Days Published on: May 16 2023

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The birth anniversary of Indian football legend and captain in the 1960 Rome Olympics, Pradip Kumar Banerjee, which falls on June 23, will be celebrated as the 'All India Football Federation (AIFF) Grassroots Day', announced the governing body of Indian football.
The day is aimed at promoting grassroots participation in Indian football and conveying the ‘Vision 2047’ strategy among the players.
The AIFF Grassroots Day is in keeping in line with the Strategic Roadmap ‘Vision 2047’, which seeks to increase grassroots participation in the country.
The aim is to engage 35 million children in football by 2026 and up to 100 million by 2047.
The Federation has announced the Blue Cubs programme which will collaborate with NGOs, schools, clubs, academies as well as various other stakeholders to expand the grassroots ecosystem.
PK was an exemplary footballer, who played a pivotal role in India’s historic Gold Medal finish in the 1962 Asian Games.
In a glittering international career, Banerjee played two Olympics (1956, 1960) and three Asian Games (1958, 1962, and 1966) and was the first footballer to receive the prestigious Arjuna Award in the year of its inception, 1961. He was conferred with Padma Shri in 1990.
He passed away on March 20, 2020, in Kolkata.