FIFA qualifier in Assam: Who were the child mascots with players?

Guwahati: Did you think that the bunch of child mascots accompanying the players of India against their FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Oman in Guwahati, Assam on Thursday were there only for the sake of convention? Not exactly.

The 25 kids, smartly dressed like professional players that came out of the dugout with the players before the match, were none other than the ‘stars’ from the first season of Greater Guwahati Baby League (GGBL) held earlier this year.

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As per the press release of Guwahati City Football club, the kids represented All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) ambitious ‘golden baby leagues’ project. They were given an opportunity to experience an international football match to get inspired from the present stars so that they can become the future torch bearer of Indian football, the release added.

While speaking to EastMojo, Kaustab Chakraborty, the co-founder and organiser of GGBL, added that the kids were taken from all the teams that participated at the league. He further added that the GGBL is an initiative of the All India Football Federation to promote football among the kids within the age of 6-12 years.

The appearance of the kids along with the prominent players of both the nations made a great buzz in the stadium and also marked an important and inspiring moment for the kids who are performing and engaging themselves with the game from a very young age. After the match, the mother of a kid said: “Thank you so much for giving our kids a big opportunity to enjoy such a big moment in life. Being budding footballers, this is the best experience they can have.”