Nagpur: The 21st edition of the National Inclusion Cup, organized by Krida Vikas Sanstha and Slum Soccer, a FIFA-awarded sports development organization, will be held from February 21 to 23 at Diversity Pitch, Bokhara.
Addressing a press conference, Slum Soccer founder Prof. Vijay Barse and CEO Dr. Abhijit Barse announced that the tournament will feature 320 players, with 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams competing in a four-a-side football format. Teams from Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Goawill participate.
The event holds special significance as it will serve as the selection platform for the Indian team set to compete in the Homeless World Cup in Norway this August.
The tournament will be inaugurated by MLA Vikas Thakre and former MLC S.Q. Zama at 10 AM on February 21, while MLA Pravin Datke will preside over the prize distribution ceremony on February 23 at 4 PM.
Dr. Abhijit Barse highlighted the history of the National Inclusion Cup, which has been held across various cities including Goa, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Madhya Pradesh since its inception in 2001. The 2024 edition in Kolkata saw an impressive turnout, with Maharashtra clinching the men’s title and Haryana emerging victorious in the women’s category.
Since 2007, the National Inclusion Cup has engaged over 6,720 underprivileged youth, with 300 men and women from disadvantaged backgrounds representing India at the Homeless World Cup.
Prominent personalities present at the press conference included Mahima Barse, Shivani Chaudhary, Anas Akhtar, Ashutosh Sharma, Ahsan Kamal, Kunal Mahurkar, Prankaj Mahajan, Sajid Jamal, and Shiba Markas.
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