Subrata Paul: Inspecting the Yuvabharati stadium and the infrastructure alongside the Brazilian delegation was a highly educational experience
Former India international goalkeeper and Arjuna Award winner Subrata Pal, who currently serves as Director of National Teams, described his experience of accompanying a five-member delegation from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) during their Kolkata visit as highly valuable and educational.
xtra Time Bangla Web Desk: Former India international goalkeeper and Arjuna Award winner Subrata Pal, who currently serves as Director of National Teams, described his experience of accompanying a five-member delegation from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) during their Kolkata visit as highly valuable and educational.
The CBF delegation arrived in Kolkata to inspect the infrastructure and arrangements ahead of the much-anticipated India-Brazil FIFA international friendly. The match is scheduled to be played on October 3 at the Salt Lake Stadium, also known as the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
During their visit, the Brazilian officials inspected the stadium and its facilities, the proposed training ground, arrangements at the five-star hotel and the AIFF Centre of Excellence. The primary objective of the delegation was to assess the infrastructure, operational arrangements and protocols that will be put in place for the Brazil national team's visit to India.
Subrata Pal accompanied the CBF delegation throughout their Kolkata tour and closely observed the way the Brazilian officials examined every aspect of the arrangements.
Speaking about the experience, Pal said, “They are extremely professional and very well-versed with protocols and processes.”
He added, “For us, it was a great learning experience to understand how such things are handled at this level.”
Pal also explained why the CBF officials did not provide detailed feedback during their inspection. According to him, the delegation was primarily focused on documenting its observations.
“At this moment, they are not giving any detailed feedback. They are documenting everything, and once they return, they will compile all their observations and share them with me,” Pal said.
The proposed Brazil visit has already generated enormous excitement among football fans in Kolkata and across India. With preparations underway, the city is gearing up to host what promises to be one of the biggest international football events in recent Indian football history.