The U-17 FIFA World Cup in India will not see any last-minute scramble for infrastructure completion, as had happened in the lead-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, with the Local Organising Committee chief asserting that the six venues will be ready well in time.
The U-17 FIFA World Cup in India will not see any last-minute scramble for infrastructure completion, as had happened in the lead-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, with the Local Organising Committee chief asserting that the six venues will be ready well in time.
The U-17 World Cup, the sport's third most important tournament globally and the most high-profile football event the country is hosting, will he held across six cities -- New Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Margao, Kochi and Navi Mumbai -- from October 6 to 28.
The prestigious tournament is widely considered to trigger a football 'revolution' in the country, with officials describing it as 'game changer'.
Twenty-four teams, including hosts India, will take part in the tournament which will have 52 matches and played before an expected global audience of over 200 million in 200 countries.
Javier Ceppi, the LOC's tournament director, said that renovation and other major civil work at the six stadia as well the four training grounds each in all the cities will be "almost" ready by the end of April. Only some "ancillary" works will remain after that and can be completed nearer to the tournament. He said all the stadia and training grounds will be world class.
"The FIFA U-17 World Cup is a little over seven months from now but I can say that we have a lot of things in place.
The renovation work and all other major civil works at all the six venues will be complete or nearly complete by April end.
So, at this point in time, there is no major red-flagging issue related to infrastructure and this is not a very common thing in India," Ceppi told
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}