Thiruvananthapuram: Football-crazy Kerala is seeking collaboration with the Argentine Football Association (AFA), with a high-level delegation headed by State Sports Minister V Abdurahiman holding a meeting with its office-bearers in Madrid, Spain.
In a Facebook post, Abdurahiman, who is currently in Madrid, said on Friday that the collaboration with AFA will be a huge investment for Kerala and expressed his desire to make this a reality as soon as possible.
"The possibility of considering Kerala as a venue for international friendly matches was discussed. As part of this, the association representatives expressed interest in visiting Kerala soon. AFA also expressed interest in setting up football academies in Kerala in collaboration with the state government," he said.
According to the minister, the AFA said that the Argentine fan community in Kerala has always been warmly welcomed.
Commenting on their meeting, the AFA said: "Together with the delegation from the Government of Kerala, headed by V Abdurahiman, Minister of Sports, we had the opportunity to share initiatives and projects that will surely materialize in the short term." In recent years, the association has established itself as one of the most important and popular sports brands in this strategic market through its global expansion strategy, it said in a statement.
"In this context, our institution is working on developing sports and commercial projects in different parts of the country, with the aim of continuing to expand our brand and being closer to the fans of the Argentine National Team in India," it added.
The AFA also thanked the Government of Kerala for "this important visit." Meanwhile, the Abdurahiman-led delegation also visited various sports development centres in Madrid and met with officials from the Spanish Higher Sports Council.
A discussion was held on the Spanish Higher Sports Council's participation in the growth of Kerala's sports economy, the minister said.
"Serious discussions were held on upgrading existing training centres in the state to world-class standards, developing soft skills in the sports sector alongside excellence, and providing job opportunities to those who acquire expertise," Abdurahiman said.
He added that discussions were also held on ensuring mutual participation in the sports institute to be started at Calicut University.
Sports Secretary Pranab Jyothinath and Sports Director Vishnu Raj are also part of the delegation.