Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced that a football stadium of international standard will be constructed in Lucknow for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed soon.
"A cricket stadium of international standard is being constructed in Lucknow. Similarly, the government will also construct a football stadium," Akhilesh said while launching the team jersey of Indian Super League club, Delhi Dynamos, in Agra on Saturday.
He said that two MoUs have already been signed for cricket, and one for football would be signed soon.
"It is true that football is played in some states of the country, but it will not be good if UP lags behind," he said.
The CM said that there were a number of players in the world who enjoy great fan following.
"Irrespective of the country of their birth or the club they play for, these players are known world over," he said.
He said that initially two players from UP were in Delhi Dynamos team, but the number would increase in future.
Assuring all assistance to promote the game in the state, Akhilesh said that his government was committed to promote all rural games.
He said that though cricket remains the most popular sport in the country and was played even in gallis (lanes), but old games like wrestling and kabbadi were also becoming popular again.
"Nobody would have ever imagined that even people from the film industry would get associated with these games," he said.
The CM said that the biggest advantage of football was that it was not an expensive game.
"The biggest advantage is that it is not an expensive game and can be played anywhere," he said.
Asked about sports policy, Akhilesh said that the government was already encouraging sportspersons and rupees six crore was being given to Olympic medallists.
Regarding long pending demand of an international stadium in Agra he said, "In Lucknow we are constructing the stadium under Public Private Participation (PPP) model. If interested people are ready to construct stadium, then the government will provide land for the same."
