Chelsea link-up with India to help develop football

Hyderabad: Chelsea's association with India will be a big step towards development of the sport in the country, says a top Asian Football Confederation official (AFC).

Chelsea's main work will be in developing the grass roots level in India through AFC's Vision India programme.

Indian Football fans will have to wait till next year before Chelsea visit the country.

"Chelsea is one of our main sponsors and they have always supported us in developing the sport in Asia," AFC general secretary Paul Mony Samuel told IANS.

He pointed toward Chelsea's involvement with Vision China and said he hoped they could be as successful with the programme in India.

"The Vision China project was launched in five provinces in the country and it has been so successful that now we are contemplating pulling out of two provinces," he said.