India gear up to bid for the 2017 U-17 World Cup

If the All India Football Federation succeeds with its bid to bring the tournament to India, it would be the biggest football mega-event ever to be held in India....

31-Jan-2012 12:01:00 AM

By Goal.com

More On :  India
All India Football Federation (AIFF) Logo

After having hosted Argentina, Blackburn Rovers and Bayern Munich last year, and with several World Cup icons set to take part in the Premier League Soccer (PLS) later this year, Indian football could now be in line to witness the next set of young future world beaters, if the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) plan to bid for the 2017 Under 17 World Cup comes to fruition.

With an aim to raise the profile of the sport in the country, the AIFF will bid for the Under 17 World Cup, a top official was quoted saying.

After FIFA director for Member Associations and Development Division, Thierry Regenass had put forward the idea of India hosting an edition of the tournament in order to help improve general infrastructure in the country, AIFF president Praful Patel had expressed his desire to bid for the U-17 World Cup in an AIFF executive committee meeting in September, last year.

After the first U-17 World Cup was held in 1985, it has been a regularly held tournament every two years, with the United Arab Emirates set to host the 2013 edition and the 2015 event being scheduled to be held at Chile.

The national body’s vice-president A R Khaleel was quick to reiterate the AIFF’s desire to host the U-17 event, which would be the biggest football tournament to be ever held in India, if awarded to India by the FIFA Executive Committee.

"India is going to bid for the 2017 Under 17 World Cup. But it will be a long process and the AIFF will have to take permission from the government," Khaleel said.

Khaleel said a maximum of five venues would be needed for hosting the tournament.

"Four or five venues will be enough and it can be held across the country. We have Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Delhi, Bangalore Football Association Stadium, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai and Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata where the matches can be held. So we have the infrastructure," he stated.

India can expect competition from Guetemala and Jamaica, who have also declared their willingness to host the event.


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