FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke on Wednesday said that the presence of big names in the Indian Super League "will help the cricket-obsessed nation develop a football culture and could brighten the national team’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup," according to the PTI. Valcke said, “We must make sure that we’re all together with one goal to develop football in India and help India play in the World Cup sooner." While addressing the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India interactive session, Valcke said, “It’s important because these stars are people who kids everywhere are dreaming about. It’s a way to attract more youngsters." Cricket legends such as Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapur, Hrithik Roshan, John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan, among others, "are co-owners of the eight franchises" (PTI, 10/15). REUTERS' Sudipto Ganguly wrote Valcke said India's hopes of becoming a football power "rest with its development at a grassroots level." The tournament "has been warmly received by the Indian public" and Valcke feels that "improvements lower down the pyramid are necessary for the overall health of the sport." Valcke: "When we were presented the project and began working with the Indian federation, we wanted to do whatever we could to promote or help the development of football in India. However, what is important is that whenever you do something at the top level, you don't forget about the grassroots programs and to develop football at the level of the kids" (REUTERS, 10/15).
