New Delhi: All India Football Federation (AIFF) chief Praful Patel is looking forward to working with new FIFA president Gianni Infantino and build on the development of the game in the country.
#AIFF looking forward to working with #FIFA President #GianniInfantino to make #Football a great success in #India
— Praful Patel (@praful_patel) February 26, 2016
Swiss-Italian Infantino won the presidency of FIFA with a convincing victory over Asian rival Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa on Friday and vowed to lead the scandal-tainted body into a new era.
Infantino succeeds Blatter, who was suspended from all football activities for eight years -- later reduced to six -- along with ex-Uefa president Michel Platini for corruption.
India was represented by Patel in the extraordinary congress. AIFF general secretary Kushal Das also attended the FIFA elections. Patel congratulated the new FIFA president after his election.
#AIFF looking forward to working with #FIFA President #GianniInfantino to make #Football a great success in #India
— Praful Patel (@praful_patel) February 26, 2016
Infantino secured 115 votes in the second round of polls, beating off favourite Salman Bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa into second while Prince Ali bin Hussein finished third.
Earlier, AIFF had come out in the open to support the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president, Salman Bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa.
The 45-year-old lawyer Infantino said on Friday that he would love to see development of the game across the world.
"I would like to see a big development of football all over the world. I want to see the Caribbean League playing, academies in Africa, kids playing in Oceania. I want to see football growing all over the world and people looking at FIFA as the organisation that helps each country in the world to develop football."
