MP: Footballers and coach from 'Mini Brazil' get special training in Germany, thanks govt

Bhopal, Oct 23 (IANS) Five football players from Vicharpur, a village in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh, which has earned international recognition and is popularly called ‘Mini Brazil’, received specialised football training in Germany recently.

The group of football players, along with a coach, visited Germany, where they were imparted special football skills from the German coaches.

They shared their experiences with IANS about specialised training provided in Germany, including different levels of football skills, technical skills, and personal training from experienced coaches.

Football Player Suhani Kol said, "I got the opportunity to go to Germany, and I was very happy about it. There, I learned many new things that I could not have learned here. I practised extensively and really enjoyed the experience. In Germany, we received personal training and had dedicated coaches for our practice sessions, which made a big difference."

Football Player Pritam Kumar said, "I learned many new techniques and skills. Now, we need to work even harder and practice daily what we were taught there. We will share those with new players here. I am a goalkeeper. We were trained in goalkeeping, diving, and various keeping techniques."

Coach Mini Brazil Sania Kunde said, "It felt really great to go to Germany. I got the chance to learn many new things that I hadn’t learned here before. The coaches there were excellent, and they focused a lot on improving our dribbling skills. It was a wonderful experience to practice in Germany and interact with the people there."

Coach Mini Brazil Laxmi Sais said, "First of all, I would like to thank our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who mentioned our small village at the international level in his Mann Ki Baat program. It was because of his encouragement that we, despite coming from a small place, got the opportunity to go to Germany and showcase our football skills on a global platform."

Block Coordinator Department of Sports and Youth Welfare Ajay Sondhiya said, "Under the program, five players and one coach got the opportunity to go to Germany, where they learned new techniques and modern training methods."

Notably, German football coach Dietmar Beyersdorfer had invited the local football players for a six-day special training. His invitation drew inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special conversation with an American podcaster and his frequent mention of Mini Brazil in the "Mann Ki Baat" program.

--IANS

mr/dan