10 August,2009 03:16 PM IST | | IANS
Sports Minister M S Gill will meet FIFA president Sepp Blatter in Zurich on Wednesday, to chart out a roadmap for the development of Indian football.
Gill will be accompanied with All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Alberto Colaco.
"Mr Gill has taken the initiative to organise the meeting. Let us hope something good comes out of it," Colaco said on Monday.
Gill, who was criticised by national football coach Bob Houghton for not providing any facilities for the game, is keen to work for the upliftment of Indian football.
This is the first time that an Indian sports minister will meet a FIFA president.
A sports ministry official said that Gill will try to convince Blatter to give India the hosting rights of one of the big FIFA tournaments that would improve the infrastructure and other facilities in the country.
Gill has taken special interest in Indian football. He has assured the AIFF that the sports ministry will bear a part of the national team's training cost for its preparation for the 2011 Asian Cup in Doha. The sports ministry recently paid the national team's air fare to Dubai and Bracelona to prepare for the Nehru Cup and has also sanctioned Rs100 million for 2010 Asian Games preparation.
