India's External affairs minister S Jaishankar takes a sharp dig at the US and Pakistan during his address to Indian diaspora in Washington DC. Jaishankar's dig comes over US decision to send the F-16 package to Pakistan.

Indian EAM takes a dig at US over F-16 package to Pakistan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Japan to attend the state funeral of former PM Shinzo Abe. On the sidelines of his visit, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida during the talks Prime Minister Modi expressed his condolences on the demise of Abe who was Japan's longest serving prime minister he also highlighted Abe's contributions to strengthening India Japan partnership.

'India is missing 'Abe-San' says Indian PM Narendra Modi as he condoles Shinzo Abe's death

A village in Sangli district of Maharashtra, India is showing its residents the way out of the chaos of electronic gadgets and social media platforms in the modern lifestyle by encouraging them to go for a digital detox everyday.

India: Maharashtra village observes 'digital detox' for 1.5 hours everyday

Mani Ratnam on the relevance of 'Ponniyin Selvan: I' in present times

India, China and Russia are all testing indigenous variants of the Switchblade Drone. The drones have become popular after Ukraine has used them to good affect during its counter-offensive.

WION Fineprint | Countries around the world are testing their version of the Switchblade Drone

From 'Langoor Mela' in India's Amritsar to a flooded street in Cambodia's Phnom Penh, here are some impactful images from around the world on 26 September 2022.

World in Pictures: 'Langoor Mela' in India's Amritsar; Flooded street in Cambodia's Phnom Penh

A special flight carrying 55 Afghan Sikh minorities fleeing from Afghanistan arrived in India at New Delhi airport on Sunday, as a part of efforts to evacuate the distressed minorities in the Taliban-led nation.

International President of World Punjabi Organisation and Punjab Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Vikramjit Singh Sahney received the Afghan refugees who arrived at the Indira Gandhi Airport today.

A special flight operated by Ariana Afghan with a number 315 was organised by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandak Committee, Amritsar in coordination with the Indian World Forum and the Government of India to evacuate these Afghan minorities. "The 55 families which were stranded in Kabul, Jalalabad have arrived safely in Delhi today. I am thankful to the Indian government to facilitate e-visas. We will rehabilitate them in the "My family My responsibility" programme." Punjab MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney said.

Sahney is running a programme "My family My responsibility" under which 543 Afghan Sikhs and Hindu families are being rehabilitated in West Delhi by providing them with all facilities.

He said, "We are already rehabilitating 543 families by providing them with monthly household expenditures, house rent and medical facilities, and the rehabilitation of these people will be a part of the same programme."The Afghan refugees thanked the Indian government and Prime Minister to provide urgent e-visas and safely evacuating them.

An Afghan Sikh, Baljeet Singh, who returned on the same flight, said, "The condition is not very well in Afghanistan. I was imprisoned for four months. Taliban have cheated us, they butchered our hair in prison. I am thankful and happy to return to India and to our religion. There are 11-12 people left behind who will also return soon, I hope."

"We would like to thank the Indian government to give us urgent visas and help us to reach India. We are 55 families who have arrived here today, but many of us still have families left behind as around 30-35 people are left stranded in Afghanistan. They have been issued visas from the Indian government, but it is their wish now if they want to return or not," Sukhbeer Singh Khalsa, another Afghan Sikh refugee said. Mansa Singh, a sevadar at Kabul gurdwara said, I would like to thank the Indian government and PM Modi to facilitate with e-visa and help us return to India. Besides, I would like to thank Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Puneet Chandowk and all other organisations who made this a success; hence, we returned safely."

"The situation of Afghanistan is not hidden, we have come here for the safety of our kids, and urge the Indian government to evacuate our other 30 brothers who are left behind in Afghanistan," he added. The Sikh refugees told that there are still some 30-35 Afghan Sikhs who are stranded in Afghanistan, and said that the government has provided them e-visas but it is their own wish to stay back. On being asked about the remaining Sikh nationals in Afghanistan, the AAP MP Sahney said that they are the sevadars and others in the service of gurudwaras, the Indian government is trying to evacuate them as well.

"The remaining Afghan Hindus and Sikhs in the country are sevadars and those in the service of gurudwaras, the Taliban has urged to let them stay there saying that those gurudwaras are a part of national heritage. But the government is in talks with the Taliban to evacuate the remaining Sikh and Hindu nationals, and we will hopefully bring them back to their country," the AAP MP said.

He thanked the government of India and all other organisations who helped to make the mission successful. "Since the Taliban took over the country situation is not under control, and an evacuation process was underway. The Government of India played a significant role and held talks with the Taliban to evacuate the Sikh nationals. We are working as a family and would like to thank all the teams and organisations who have helped in this," Sahney said.

Indian World Forum has coordinated and facilitated humanitarian evacuation for more than 300 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs post the regime change in Kabul.68 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs have arrived till date after the attack at Gurudwara Karte Parwan in Kabul. SGPC is bearing the airfare for the same.

On August 3, at least 30 Afghan Sikhs including children and infants, arrived in Delhi by a non-scheduled commercial flight from Kabul, operated by Kam Air.On July 14, a total of 21 Afghan Sikhs, including an infant, were evacuated from Kabul to New Delhi on Kam Air, the largest private Afghan airline.

There were about 700 Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan in 2020, but a large number of them left the country following the Taliban's takeover on August 15, 2021.Four Saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib still remains in Afghanistan. Due to a lack of cooperation from the local administration in Kabul, the same could not be transferred to India as per religious protocol.

Ever Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, there has been a series of attacks on Sikhs. On June 18 this year, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) attacked Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul which claimed the lives of about 50 people.In October, last year 15 to 20 terrorists entered a Gurdwara in the Kart-e-Parwan District of Kabul and tied up the guards.

In March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Gurudwara in Kabul's Short Bazaar area in which 27 Sikhs were killed and several were injured. Islamic State terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack.&nbsp;

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A special flight carrying 55 Afghan Sikh minorities fleeing from Afghanistan arrived in India at New Delhi airport on Sunday, as a part of efforts to evacuate the distressed minorities in the Taliban-led nation.

A special flight carrying 55 Afghan Sikh minorities fleeing from Afghanistan arrived in India at New Delhi airport on Sunday, as a part of efforts to evacuate the distressed minorities in the Taliban-led nation. International President of World Punjabi Organisation and Punjab Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Vikramjit Singh Sahney received the Afghan refugees who arrived at the Indira Gandhi Airport today. A special flight operated by Ariana Afghan with a number 315 was organised by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandak Committee, Amritsar in coordination with the Indian World Forum and the Government of India to evacuate these Afghan minorities. "The 55 families which were stranded in Kabul, Jalalabad have arrived safely in Delhi today. I am thankful to the Indian government to facilitate e-visas. We will rehabilitate them in the "My family My responsibility" programme." Punjab MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney said. Sahney is running a programme "My family My responsibility" under which 543 Afghan Sikhs and Hindu families are being rehabilitated in West Delhi by providing them with all facilities. He said, "We are already rehabilitating 543 families by providing them with monthly household expenditures, house rent and medical facilities, and the rehabilitation of these people will be a part of the same programme."The Afghan refugees thanked the Indian government and Prime Minister to provide urgent e-visas and safely evacuating them. An Afghan Sikh, Baljeet Singh, who returned on the same flight, said, "The condition is not very well in Afghanistan. I was imprisoned for four months. Taliban have cheated us, they butchered our hair in prison. I am thankful and happy to return to India and to our religion. There are 11-12 people left behind who will also return soon, I hope." "We would like to thank the Indian government to give us urgent visas and help us to reach India. We are 55 families who have arrived here today, but many of us still have families left behind as around 30-35 people are left stranded in Afghanistan. They have been issued visas from the Indian government, but it is their wish now if they want to return or not," Sukhbeer Singh Khalsa, another Afghan Sikh refugee said. Mansa Singh, a sevadar at Kabul gurdwara said, I would like to thank the Indian government and PM Modi to facilitate with e-visa and help us return to India. Besides, I would like to thank Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Puneet Chandowk and all other organisations who made this a success; hence, we returned safely." "The situation of Afghanistan is not hidden, we have come here for the safety of our kids, and urge the Indian government to evacuate our other 30 brothers who are left behind in Afghanistan," he added. The Sikh refugees told that there are still some 30-35 Afghan Sikhs who are stranded in Afghanistan, and said that the government has provided them e-visas but it is their own wish to stay back. On being asked about the remaining Sikh nationals in Afghanistan, the AAP MP Sahney said that they are the sevadars and others in the service of gurudwaras, the Indian government is trying to evacuate them as well. "The remaining Afghan Hindus and Sikhs in the country are sevadars and those in the service of gurudwaras, the Taliban has urged to let them stay there saying that those gurudwaras are a part of national heritage. But the government is in talks with the Taliban to evacuate the remaining Sikh and Hindu nationals, and we will hopefully bring them back to their country," the AAP MP said. He thanked the government of India and all other organisations who helped to make the mission successful. "Since the Taliban took over the country situation is not under control, and an evacuation process was underway. The Government of India played a significant role and held talks with the Taliban to evacuate the Sikh nationals. We are working as a family and would like to thank all the teams and organisations who have helped in this," Sahney said. Indian World Forum has coordinated and facilitated humanitarian evacuation for more than 300 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs post the regime change in Kabul.68 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs have arrived till date after the attack at Gurudwara Karte Parwan in Kabul. SGPC is bearing the airfare for the same. On August 3, at least 30 Afghan Sikhs including children and infants, arrived in Delhi by a non-scheduled commercial flight from Kabul, operated by Kam Air.On July 14, a total of 21 Afghan Sikhs, including an infant, were evacuated from Kabul to New Delhi on Kam Air, the largest private Afghan airline. There were about 700 Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan in 2020, but a large number of them left the country following the Taliban's takeover on August 15, 2021.Four Saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib still remains in Afghanistan. Due to a lack of cooperation from the local administration in Kabul, the same could not be transferred to India as per religious protocol. Ever Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, there has been a series of attacks on Sikhs. On June 18 this year, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) attacked Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul which claimed the lives of about 50 people.In October, last year 15 to 20 terrorists entered a Gurdwara in the Kart-e-Parwan District of Kabul and tied up the guards. In March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Gurudwara in Kabul's Short Bazaar area in which 27 Sikhs were killed and several were injured. Islamic State terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Special flight carrying 55 Afghan Sikh refugees arrives in India

Russia has now responded to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'not an era of war' remark. Moscow says that New Delhi's position on the issue has been consistent and accuse the West instead of using parts of the statement to weave its own narrative.

Russian Envoy: Remarks were in line with India's position; slams West's narrative

Wipro firing 300 employees for moonlighting has opened a pandora's box. While the announcement triggered an immediate backlash against a Wipro boss Richard Premji, several Indian IT firms still denounced the practice and have now warned their employees against it.

WION Fineprint | Indian Minister: Futile to punish dual work; moonlighting is the future

The India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar has concluded his trip to the United Nations General Assembly and while speaking to a group of reporters after his address at the UNGA, the Indian external affairs minister said that there is no question that this UNGA reflects the state of the world which is particularly polarized at this moment.

WION Fineprint | 77th UNGA Meet: India charts its own way in global geopolitics

India's indigenous fighter aircraft Tejas has prompted International attention. A handful of countries have already shown interests to procure the aircraft.

India's 'Tejas' in full glory at Sulur base, strategic air base defends Southern India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 93rd edition of his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'. PM Modi talked about the reintroduction of Cheetahs in India during his address.

Indian PM Narendra Modi addresses 93rd edition of Mann Ki Baat

While talking about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, India's External Affairs minister, S Jaishankar said that India is on the side that respects the UN charter and its founding principles. "As the Ukraine war continues to rage, we are often asked whose side are we on? and our answer each time is straight and honest - India is on the side of peace and will firmly remain there," said Jaishankar.

'India on the side that respects UN charter & its founding principles,' S Jaishankar asserts at UNGA

In a strong message on terrorism, India's External Affairs minister S Jaishankar said that there is no justification of any act of terrorism and nations who back terrorism. He also reaffirmed India's zero tolerance approach towards terrorism.

'No justification of any act of terrorism,' says S Jaishankar at UNGA

"I was struck by the term that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif used - composite dialogue, in fact the process of composite dialogue begun in 1998 by his brother Nawaz Sharif and India's former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, so it's interesting that he's going by the same term," said fomer Indian diplomat, Vivek Katju.

'Stuck by the term Composite Dialogue used by Pak PM Sharif,' says former Indian diplomat

The US is planning to produce drones with India to help the country diversify its defence purchases. Washington is hoping to sell Indian-made drones to its allies in South and Southeast Asia. How will this deal benefit India? Molly Gambhir tells you.

Gravitas: US to produce drones with India

Approximately 66% of the 542 Indian pilots who participated in a recent study on "daytime sleepiness" acknowledged falling asleep in the cockpit without alerting the rest of the crew. Molly Gambhir tells you the risks associated with these findings.

Gravitas: 66% of Indian pilots doze off in the cockpit, reveals survey

The BJP in Jammu and Kashmir announced the visit of Union home minister Amit Shah to the state on October 1 and 2. The home minister will be addressing mega rallies in Rajouri district of Jammu region on October 1 and Baramulla district of Kashmir region on October 2. 
 
BJP's Kashmir affairs in charge and former minister Sunil Sharma on Saturday made a formal announcement of Amit Shah's visit. The mega rally in North Kashmir's Baramulla district would be attended by people across the Kashmir region.&nbsp;

“The home minister will be addressing the rally and talking about the various developmental projects undertaken by the government. He will also talk about what the central government is doing on various fronts for the development of J&amp;K,” said Sharma.&nbsp;

Read more<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kashmir-gets-its-first-multiplex-to-be-opened-to-public-by-september-end-518021">:&nbsp;Kashmir gets its first multiplex, to be opened to public by September end</a>

While talking about elections, Sharma said, "It's a decision to be made by the Election Commission of India, and we (BJP) as a party are always ready for elections here.''

The home minister will also be laying the foundation stone of the first cancer hospital in the Kashmir valley. The hospital is being constructed by the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board.&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

The BJP in Jammu and Kashmir announced the visit of Union home minister Amit Shah to the state on October 1 and 2. The home minister will be addressing mega rallies in Rajouri district of Jammu region on October 1 and Baramulla district of Kashmir region on October 2.

The BJP in Jammu and Kashmir announced the visit of Union home minister Amit Shah to the state on October 1 and 2. The home minister will be addressing mega rallies in Rajouri district of Jammu region on October 1 and Baramulla district of Kashmir region on October 2. BJP's Kashmir affairs in charge and former minister Sunil Sharma on Saturday made a formal announcement of Amit Shah's visit. The mega rally in North Kashmir's Baramulla district would be attended by people across the Kashmir region. “The home minister will be addressing the rally and talking about the various developmental projects undertaken by the government. He will also talk about what the central government is doing on various fronts for the development of J&K,” said Sharma. Read more: Kashmir gets its first multiplex, to be opened to public by September end While talking about elections, Sharma said, "It's a decision to be made by the Election Commission of India, and we (BJP) as a party are always ready for elections here.'' The home minister will also be laying the foundation stone of the first cancer hospital in the Kashmir valley. The hospital is being constructed by the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

India: Home minister Amit Shah to visit Jammu & Kashmir, address mega rallies

While speaking to WION, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the burning issues between India and Pakistan should be resolved. "Without talking on issues which have led both countries to war and finding way forward, other matters become irrelevant," Sharif added.

WION Exclusive | 'Comprehensive dialogue between India, Pak is must,' says Pakistan PM Sharif

The foreign ministers of India, United States of America, Japan and Australia, met in their very first meeting as Quad partners on Friday. The leaders signed the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief pact during the meeting. This agreement was announced by the Quad leaders in the month of May itself.

Foreign ministers hold meeting at Quad summit, sign disaster relief pact

Let us take a look at stories generating interest across WION's social media channels.

Trending on WION | Source: Majority of Indian pilots doze off in cockpit due to fatigue

India's indigenous fighter aircraft Tejas has prompted International attention. A handful of countries have already shown interests to procure the aircraft. WION's correspondent Sidharth MP brings us more on this.

India's fighter jet grabs international attention

Rohit&nbsp;Sharma's unbeaten 20-ball 46 helped India seal a six-wicket victory over visitors Australia in the second T20 which was cut to eight overs a-side on Friday.

Home skipper Sharma won the toss and chose to field first in Nagpur and was helped by key cameos by Dinesh Karthik, unbeaten two-ball 10, and Virat Kohli (11) as India hit 92-4 with four balls remaining in reply to Australia's 90-5.

Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa took 3-16 in his impressive two over spell when most of the other bowlers looked ineffective against in-form Sharma.&nbsp;

Pacer Pat Cummins was the only other wicket-taker for the visitors and finished with 1-23.

Matthew Wade's unbeaten 20-ball 43 propelled Australia to a formidable 90-5 after a wet outfield in the rain-hit city delayed the start and shortened the game.

It was Wade's second consecutive impressive innings in the series.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, the Australia wicketkeeper hit 21-ball 45 in the first match to help the visitors chase down a mammoth 209-run victory target.&nbsp;

The visitors' captain Aaron Finch on Friday hit a 15-ball 31 before an impressive spell by left-arm spinner Axar Patel put a brake on Australia's scoring.&nbsp;

Patel finished with 2-13 and was the most impressive bowler for India.

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah who returned to the team on Friday took one wicket for 23 runs.&nbsp;

Sharma, who was also player-of-the-match, said that Indian bowlers "used the conditions pretty well".

"You just have to play the situation and use conditions to your advantage," he said.&nbsp;

"It was good to see Bumrah on the park. Slowly and steadily he is coming back into his rhythm," he added.&nbsp;

Finch said "Rohit&nbsp;was brilliant" and praised Wade as "a calm customer at the back end of the innings" who "did a wonderful job for us".

The three-match series, a warm-up for the T20 World Cup in Australia next month, concludes Sunday in Hyderabad.

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Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 20-ball 46 helped India seal a six-wicket victory over visitors Australia in the second T20 which was cut to eight overs a-side on Friday.

Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 20-ball 46 helped India seal a six-wicket victory over visitors Australia in the second T20 which was cut to eight overs a-side on Friday. Home skipper Sharma won the toss and chose to field first in Nagpur and was helped by key cameos by Dinesh Karthik, unbeaten two-ball 10, and Virat Kohli (11) as India hit 92-4 with four balls remaining in reply to Australia's 90-5. Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa took 3-16 in his impressive two over spell when most of the other bowlers looked ineffective against in-form Sharma. Pacer Pat Cummins was the only other wicket-taker for the visitors and finished with 1-23. Matthew Wade's unbeaten 20-ball 43 propelled Australia to a formidable 90-5 after a wet outfield in the rain-hit city delayed the start and shortened the game. It was Wade's second consecutive impressive innings in the series. On Tuesday, the Australia wicketkeeper hit 21-ball 45 in the first match to help the visitors chase down a mammoth 209-run victory target. The visitors' captain Aaron Finch on Friday hit a 15-ball 31 before an impressive spell by left-arm spinner Axar Patel put a brake on Australia's scoring. Patel finished with 2-13 and was the most impressive bowler for India. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah who returned to the team on Friday took one wicket for 23 runs. Sharma, who was also player-of-the-match, said that Indian bowlers "used the conditions pretty well". "You just have to play the situation and use conditions to your advantage," he said. "It was good to see Bumrah on the park. Slowly and steadily he is coming back into his rhythm," he added. Finch said "Rohit was brilliant" and praised Wade as "a calm customer at the back end of the innings" who "did a wonderful job for us". The three-match series, a warm-up for the T20 World Cup in Australia next month, concludes Sunday in Hyderabad. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 46 helps India beat Australia in 2nd T20I to level series

India is a sport-loving country. While cricket continues to rule&nbsp;the hearts of many across the nation, many other sports have also risen in popularity in recent years. Football is rising at a rapid pace but still has miles to cover to make an impact globally. The likes of Sunil Chhetri, Indian football captain, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and the likes have created a strong base, but many of their young followers need to stand tall and help the country's football to make a strong impact worldwide.

Andre Villas-Boas -- football manager and Laureus ambassador -- is one of the youngest top-flight managers who won the Europa League with FC Porto at 33. The game has been associated with him over the years. Recently, he got a chance to interact with underprivileged kids during his three-day visit to India -- and spoke at length&nbsp;on the future of the game in the country during an exclusive interaction with Wion Sports' Editor Digvijay Singh Deo.&nbsp;

After conducting a masterclass for the young small children of Delhi, the former Chelsea manager Andre revealed how his meeting went with the young kids. "Emotionally, it was very very rewarding for me. Hope it was the same for them. I'm thankful for the work done by Slum Soccer for these kids in India. I'm humbled and honoured. In such difficult circumstances they live, without infrastructure, and these 30 kids are still able to enjoy themselves. Put out the best skills they have. Not only technical skills but also&nbsp;cooperation, leadership and communication are some important tools they can take&nbsp;into their future. I thank Slum Soccer once again and Laureus for the work they do. We need more and more&nbsp;to change other people's lives."

During his visit to Delhi, Andre caught up with young football fan Jatin, a goalkeeper for his local football club - Rurka Kalan. Their mutual love for football made them connect instantly and Jatin got a chance to interact with the former Chelsea manager, a moment he will not forget for quite some time.

Jatin earned the chance to meet Andre after winning a unique drawing competition, which featured hundreds of participants from around the world. The young Indian fan's design will now be engraved on the back of the 16th special edition timepiece that Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has launched in collaboration with Laureus Sport for Good.

“I am really excited to be in India to meet Jatin and the young people from Slum Soccer. It’s wonderful to think that the watch which Jatin helped to design will contribute to raising awareness for Laureus. It was a great honour recognising Jatin as the winner of the competition and we enjoyed talking about football during our time together.

I am also thinking of all the other young people, like Jatin, who are in Laureus programmes around the world, similar to Slum Soccer here in New Delhi, and who are benefiting from the experience. This is a brilliant and unique initiative and I would like to thank Laureus Global Partner IWC sincerely for their support," Andre said about his interaction with the young fan.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-united-report-loss-of-ps1155m-for-202122-season-518762">Manchester United report loss of £115.5m for 2021/22 season</a>

Football is certainly one of the most accessible sports to play. On being asked if he feels&nbsp;Indian football needs that push as, despite the population, India has not reached the levels it should have, Andre&nbsp;pointed out that we need to tap into the talent.

"I think you need a lot of reforms. I know a lot of Portuguese have come here for the stars league that you (India) have proposed. I spoke to them before coming and they told me to make the most of the experience. You need to create a culture. You need to get the football into schools, into kids' heads so that they idolise their heroes and try to emulate them. The Ronaldos and the Messis. But you need the infrastructure and conditions. You guys have enough technical skills, you just need to work on it."

The population of India surely indicates that there is no dearth of talent across any field. Thus, hopes for high for Indian football and the youngsters joining the game to take it to a level that it has never reached as yet.&nbsp;

India is a sport-loving country. While cricket continues to rule the hearts of many across the nation, many other sports have also risen in popularity in recent years.

India is a sport-loving country. While cricket continues to rule the hearts of many across the nation, many other sports have also risen in popularity in recent years. Football is rising at a rapid pace but still has miles to cover to make an impact globally. The likes of Sunil Chhetri, Indian football captain, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and the likes have created a strong base, but many of their young followers need to stand tall and help the country's football to make a strong impact worldwide. Andre Villas-Boas -- football manager and Laureus ambassador -- is one of the youngest top-flight managers who won the Europa League with FC Porto at 33. The game has been associated with him over the years. Recently, he got a chance to interact with underprivileged kids during his three-day visit to India -- and spoke at length on the future of the game in the country during an exclusive interaction with Wion Sports' Editor Digvijay Singh Deo. After conducting a masterclass for the young small children of Delhi, the former Chelsea manager Andre revealed how his meeting went with the young kids. "Emotionally, it was very very rewarding for me. Hope it was the same for them. I'm thankful for the work done by Slum Soccer for these kids in India. I'm humbled and honoured. In such difficult circumstances they live, without infrastructure, and these 30 kids are still able to enjoy themselves. Put out the best skills they have. Not only technical skills but also cooperation, leadership and communication are some important tools they can take into their future. I thank Slum Soccer once again and Laureus for the work they do. We need more and more to change other people's lives." During his visit to Delhi, Andre caught up with young football fan Jatin, a goalkeeper for his local football club - Rurka Kalan. Their mutual love for football made them connect instantly and Jatin got a chance to interact with the former Chelsea manager, a moment he will not forget for quite some time. Jatin earned the chance to meet Andre after winning a unique drawing competition, which featured hundreds of participants from around the world. The young Indian fan's design will now be engraved on the back of the 16th special edition timepiece that Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has launched in collaboration with Laureus Sport for Good. “I am really excited to be in India to meet Jatin and the young people from Slum Soccer. It’s wonderful to think that the watch which Jatin helped to design will contribute to raising awareness for Laureus. It was a great honour recognising Jatin as the winner of the competition and we enjoyed talking about football during our time together. I am also thinking of all the other young people, like Jatin, who are in Laureus programmes around the world, similar to Slum Soccer here in New Delhi, and who are benefiting from the experience. This is a brilliant and unique initiative and I would like to thank Laureus Global Partner IWC sincerely for their support," Andre said about his interaction with the young fan. ALSO READ | Manchester United report loss of £115.5m for 2021/22 season Football is certainly one of the most accessible sports to play. On being asked if he feels Indian football needs that push as, despite the population, India has not reached the levels it should have, Andre pointed out that we need to tap into the talent. "I think you need a lot of reforms. I know a lot of Portuguese have come here for the stars league that you (India) have proposed. I spoke to them before coming and they told me to make the most of the experience. You need to create a culture. You need to get the football into schools, into kids' heads so that they idolise their heroes and try to emulate them. The Ronaldos and the Messis. But you need the infrastructure and conditions. You guys have enough technical skills, you just need to work on it." The population of India surely indicates that there is no dearth of talent across any field. Thus, hopes for high for Indian football and the youngsters joining the game to take it to a level that it has never reached as yet.

EXCLUSIVE | You need to get football into schools, says Andre Villas-Boas on the future of Indian football

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