NEW DELHI: Already postponed once, the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup will go ahead next year, even if it has to be conducted behind closed doors in a "worst-case scenario", All India Football Federation general secretary Kushal Das said Monday
The tournament is to be held from February 17 to March 7 next year as per the revised schedule.
"In the worst case scenario, we will have to do it behind closed doors and that will be a pity (especially after the grand success of the men's U-17 World Cup in 2017), but human lives are of course most important," PTI quotes Das as having said Monday at a webinar organised by Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI).
Amid a continued rise in the country's COVID-19 case count, the pandemic has so far claimed more than 22,000 lives in the country with the number of positive cases crossing 800,000.
If the situation remains the same in the coming months, Das said it will be extremely difficult to host international matches (World Cup qualifiers), what with all the travelling and quarantining.
"We have written to the Sports Ministry. Once the international flights start, which is I think from July 15, some protocols will be in place hopefully."
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