Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
New Delhi: The countdown to the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 began at a star-studded press conference in New Delhi on Saturday.
Widely regarded as one of the most important events of the FIFA calendar, the tournament is also being trumpeted as the start of a football revolution in India and an important step towards changing the future of the sport throughout the country.
Expressing his support for the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and India’s hosting of the global gathering, Asian Football Confederation President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa said: “We will continue to provide help and assistance for the successful staging of the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
“In keeping with the desire to ensure it is a world class event, we have awarded the AFC U-16 Championship 2016 to the AIFF. This will help with the preparation and staging of the World Cup a year later.”
AIFF President Praful Patel noted: “This is a defining moment for Indian football. We need to grab this opportunity to take the game to its next level in India.
“It is the first World Cup that we will host and the first time that India will play in a World Cup, which makes this tournament the single most important event in Indian football history. Our tournament will be broadcast to over 200 countries. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to showcase India’s sport, culture, cities and organisations across the globe.”
Also in attendance were three generations of captains of the India national team in the shape of Chuni Goswani, Baichung Bhutia and Sunil Chettri.
The trio of illustrious stars also expressed their full support for the tournament while deeming it a true game changer for the game throughout India.