Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
New Delhi: Asian Football Confederation President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa attended the opening ceremony of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 India at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Friday.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and other government and sports leaders.
Shaikh Salman, who also attended the match between India and USA, met the Prime Minister and hailed the Indian government's efforts to provide all facilities for the event.
The AFC President expressed happiness that India is hosting the Finals, stressing that he is confident of the country's capabilities to make the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 a great success based on India's experience in hosting major sports events and the immense human resources available.
Shaikh Salman said hosting the Finals in India is a big gain for Asian football in general, and serves the AFC's Vision and Mission to make Asian football a leader in world football.
The AFC President also hailed the fans who watched India's match against USA, saying this provided a good start for the Finals, and reflected the growing popularity of football in India.
Shaikh Salman also wished Asia's representatives India, Iraq, Japan, DPR Korea and Islamic Republic of Iran the best, stressing that the most important goal of the Finals is to gain experience and build future generations.
Photo: AFC