NEW DELHI: The stage is set for the the 17th edition of the U-17 World Cup, with hosts India making their historic debut in a FIFA competition when they take on USA.
The highly anticipated contest will follow the Group A opener in Mumbai between Colombia and two-time champions Ghana.
With 52 matches to be played across six venues between Friday and 28 October, the event will be watched by a global audience of 200 million.
Organisers are confident that the government's Rs1.2 billion ($18.5 million) investment in renovating stadiums in the six cities to host the 24-team tournament will help showcase the country as a venue for major events.
And if once Indian football meant West Bengal, Goa and Kerala, it is the north-eastern states that have become the new hotbed of the game in the country. The 21-member team consists of 10 members from that region, with Manipur accounting for as many as eight of boys who will become the first footballers of this country to play in any FIFA World Cup.
As for the international stars, while highly-touted Flemengo forward Vinicius Junior is missing in action for the Brazil team's trip to India, England winger Jadon Sancho, American striker Josh Sargent, Abel Ruiz and Ferran Torres of Spain and German captain Jann-Fiete Arp, who have already become hot properties in club football, are all there.
In fact, a total of 504 young hopefuls would begin to dream of following in the footsteps of famous graduates of the tournament, such as Neymar Jr, Ronaldinho, Luis Figo, Xavi, Iker Casillas, Gianluigi Buffon and Andres Iniesta, to name a few.
Fifth Asian country to host
India will become the fifth Asian country — after China, Japan, South Korea and UAE — to host the tournament which was started in 1985.
A successful hosting of the U-17 World Cup is sure to open up chances of other bigger events like the U-20 FIFA World Cup, for which the country has made a bid for the 2019 edition.
Infrastructure legacy
Apart from giving the world some of its future stars, the tournament would be expected to leave a positive legacy for its hosts, infrastructure being the biggest of them all as this will make all the six stadia FIFA—approved venues to be used for later events.
India are already the winners irrespective of how the results pan out on the field, says FIFA’s deputy secretary and Croatian football legend Zvonimir Boban.
“Regardless of the actual results on the pitch, India are already winners as they have been able to prepare this event. Football has taken over, and the Indian players are benefitting from a unique experience,” Boban, who captained Croatia to a remarkable third-place finish at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, told PTI.
Boban noted: “Football infrastructure is indeed one of the aspects that will benefit from the FIFA U-17 World Cup. On one hand, the improved infrastructure will facilitate the development of football in India at all levels, and on the other it will represent a great opportunity for club administrators, scouts and other football stakeholders to visit India, feel and experience the passion of the Indian football community and re-think their future strategies concerning India’s involvement.
“The AIFF, LOC and government efforts have been great and the current infrastructure will surely benefit the football structure in the years to come.”
“The FIFA U-17 World Cup will undoubtedly be a major event for all players of the Indian national team as no other generation of Indian players has ever had such an experience.
“However, it’s also important to keep in mind that these players are just starting their careers and still have a long way to go in order to fully exploit their potential.
“Nevertheless, passionate players will devote more efforts in becoming even better players, so in the long run we will definitely see some improvements in the senior team.”
“I have no doubt that football will become an integral part of the culture of the Indian people. Football is closing the gap in the world and countries like India are demonstrating how important football tournaments can be for the overall development of our sport.
“By improving football infrastructure and bringing football to different segments of Indian society, this World Cup is already making a significant contribution to Indian football.
“Of course, this process needs to continue after the World Cup, and FIFA will be most happy to support it. Together with Mission XI Million, football will change the sporting culture in India for sure.”
Boban said the six venues are at par with international standards.
“The training grounds for this FIFA U-17 World Cup are great and we expect happy teams in all six venues. While the U-17 World Cup represents an important milestone for Indian football, more work will be needed to get to the next stage of football development.”
Having overcome many obstacles, FIFA is now hoping the tournament turns out to be the best-ever U-17 World Cup.
“We have faced different challenges, but nothing that could not be managed thanks to the assistance of the Indian government, the AIFF and the Local Organising Committee.
That’s precisely why it’s been so encouraging to see all the hard work being done to make this the best FIFA U-17 World Cup ever.”
On the tournament, he further said, “This World Cup can serve as a catalyst to further develop competitive football as well, which is fundamental when it comes to enhancing the popularity of football in a specific country and creating role models to inspire the younger generations.”
TV broadcast on Sony
In India, SONY Pictures Networks India hold the broadcast rights for the World Cup. SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 2 HD, SONY ESPN, SONY ESPN HD will show the matches in English commentary while SONY TEN 3 and SONY TEN 3 HD will broadcast the games in Hindi and Bengali commentary. All the matches will also be live on free-to-air DD Sports channel.
The FIFA U-17 World Cup can be live streamed on SonyLiv app.
Venues
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi
The JLN Stadium hosts football and athletics and has a capacity of 58,000. The stadium, which is an all-seater venue, is the fourth largest multipurpose stadium in India and the 51st largest in the world in terms of seating capacity. It was built in 1982 for the Asian Games and renovated completely for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. In case of emergency, it can be evacuated within six minutes.
Dr DY Patil Sports Stadium, Navi Mumbai
The football and cricket stadium was inaugurated in 2008 and has a capacity of 51,000. The stadium hosted the final of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and the final of the Indian Super League in 2014.
Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium, Guwahati
The stadium, which is the home ground of ISL team NorthEast United FC, has a capacity of 30,000. Used mainly for football, it has also had its fair share of athletics events. It hosted the 33rd National Games, and recently played host to the 2016 South Asian Games.
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
Built in 1996, the multipurpose stadium is known locally as the “Kaloor Stadium”. The stadium, with a 55,000-strong capacity, is one of the noisiest in the world at full capacity due to its distinctive design. Another unique aspect is its lighting towers of 2 kW floodlights. The structure of the tower is one of a kind in India. It is ISL team Kerala Blasters’ home ground.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa
The PJN Fatorda Stadium is the smallest of the six venues in terms of seating capacity. It is Goa’s only international stadium and has a capacity of 19,000. The venue was opened in 1989 and renovated in 2014 for the Lusofonia Games. It is the current home of FC Goa, Dempo SC, Salgaocar SC and Sporting Clube de Goa.
Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
Salt Lake Stadium is the largest in India with a capacity of 85,000. Before its 2011 renovation, it had a capacity of 120,000 and was the second largest football stadium in the world. The record attendance of 131,000 was set in 1997 in a match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. The stadium covers an area of 76.40 acres. It was inaugurated in January 1984.
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