FIFA may grant India $400,000 for special project

Soccer's international governing body, FIFA, is likely to grant India $400,000 to build an operating headquarter for the country's soccer federation, a top Asian sports official said on Monday.

"I have seen India's proposal for FIFA's Goal Project and I will favourably recommend that FIFA collaborates with India and makes the money available," Manilal Fernando, vice-president of the Asian Football Confederation, told reporters.

"I expect the project to start by March 15," he added.

Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, the president of the All India Football Federation, said a site in New Delhi had been selected for the headquarters and the federation was waiting for a final nod from the federal government.

"We expect everything to be in place in the next week," he said.

Fernando, also a development officer with FIFA's Goal Project, said the governing body was planning similar grants fro 110 of its 206 members in an attempt to improve the standard of soccer in the countries.