Imphal, Oct. 3: Tata Trusts today handed over air tickets to families of four footballers from Manipur who will represent India in the Fifa Under-17 World Cup to travel to Delhi to watch their wards play in the first ever Fifa mega event in India.

The tournament will be held from October 6 to 28.

Tickets from here to Delhi and the return journey were ceremonially presented to parents of India's skipper Amarjit Kiyam, defender Borish Thangjam, midfielders Jackson Thounaojam and Md Shah Jahan at CML Tata Trusts's regional office, here. Tickets were provided to two members from the family of each player.

India is clustered in Group A with Colombia, the US# and Ghana. India will play against the US# in the campaign opener on Friday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. Almost all teams have landed in India for the mega event to be held in six cities.

Apart from Delhi, the event will be held in Mumbai, Calcutta, Goa, Guwahati and Kochi.

Another quartet of Manipur players will be representing India in the World Cup. They are goalkeeper Dheeraj Moirangthem and midfielders Nongdamba Naorem, Ningthoinganba Meitei and Suresh Wangjam.

The regional manager of CML Tata Trusts, Abhishek Mazumdar, said: 'We were ready to provide air tickets to two family members of all the eight World Cuppers from the state as a small initiative in our endeavour towards development of football in the state. But we have learnt that the family members of four other players have already purchased their tickets.'

Tata Trusts came to the aid of the footballers' families after some of the economically backward parents of the World Cuppers appealed to the Manipur government to arrange for their travel to Delhi to bless their wards ahead of the World Cup.

'After the completion of World Cup, we have planned a grand welcome for the eight players of Manipur. The selection of eight footballers from the state is a milestone in itself. We will be prouder if they come back raising the Indian flag,' Mazumdar added.

'We are trying to ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Manipur government to open a Centre of Excellence at Thoubal, where not only football but also other sports could be included. Apart from that we have already launched a grassroots football programme in the state at 10 centres in association with the All Manipur Football Association,' Mazumdar said.

Tata Trusts has already sent 35 under-15 players from the Northeast, including 15 from Manipur, for a six-year training stint in Germany.

The sports coordinator of Manipur CML Tata Trusts, Khelemba Singh, appreciated the support and encouragement of the players' families despite their hardship.

The proprietor of the Eastern Motors Ltd, an authorised dealer of Maruti Suzuki, Sinam Pritam Singh, also felicitated the family members of the eight footballers and gave Rs 20,000 to each family as a token for encouragement to their wards.