BHUBANESWAR, India :  Bhubaneswar-based Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) has unrolled itself back to international glory in the field of sports. None other than the FIFA, world’s premier governing body for football, showed the willingness to realign its ties with the KISS with the objective to strengthen the cooperation in the ‘Football For School’ initiative in Odisha and later to make a pan-India outreach in South Asia as well.

A letter of intent has been signed in this regard between Youri Djorkaeff, CEO, FIFA Foundation, and Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KISS. The document broadly sets out terms for both entities to commit to investigating avenues of opportunity together – particularly concerning the extension of the Football for Schools programme, which is already active across ten FIFA Member Associations, said a statement.

FIFA has selected KISS as the nodal agency for the promotion of football as it was encouraged by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s big emphasis on promoting sports as a whole.

In October last year, KISS announced the launch of India’s first-ever FIFA Football for School Programme in association with FIFA.

The latest development seeks to take the engagement between FIFA and KISS, a KIIT constituent, to a new level. According to the letter, KISS will act as knowledge hubs for Football for Schools training, and logistical hubs for Football for Schools balls distribution.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Djorkaeff said: “It is with great pride and excitement that today we sign this letter of intent with the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences. FIFA Foundation’s Football for Schools programme was launched to positively impact the lives of 700 million children.

“Football is the global game, and we have already seen the power it has to unite, inspire, and educate in every corner of the world through the work already done by this programme. I am certain the collaboration we have set in motion today with help enhance that further still and I welcome the opportunities it will undoubtedly bring to millions of children across the region,” Dr. Samanta said in his reaction. Dr. Samanta praised Chief Minister for promoting sports in a big way in the State and being a constant source of encouragement for all sportspersons. Also Football aficionados and lovers of the game have welcomed the FIFA-KISS latest initiative and congratulated Dr. Samanta for the collaboration.

“The programme is on its way to achieving that goal and is active in South America, Africa, East Asia, the Caribbean, and the Arab world. The partnership we are officialising here today is the next step on the journey in India and South Asia,” he said