New Delhi: India will stage the Under-17 football World Cup from October 6 to 28 next year, the sport’s world governing body Fifa announced on Tuesday while ratifying Kolkata as the sixth venue for the mega event.
The World Cup draw will take place on July 7. West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas said 75 to 80 per cent work had been done and the stadium in Kolkata would be complete by January 31.
Asked about the chances of Kolkata holding the final, tournament director Javier Ceppi said, “Before we can announce the final, we have to complete the work fully. We are extremely satisfied.
“Monsoon has been severe here so has been summer. We understand the weather constraint after January, we will have an assessment, then we will see whether a final or a key match can be played here,” he added.
Asked whether they were happy with security arrangements, Ceppi said, “I have come to West Bengal 30 times. I have always felt very welcome and never felt threatened. We are working with the state government. We will try to deliver a friendly and a very good tournament.”
Ceppi later said ratification did not mean a blank cheque as progress will be assessed periodically. Kochi, Mumbai, Guwahati, Delhi and Margao have already been ratified as venues following inspections by the Fifa delegation.
