AIFF awaits govt clearance for U-17 World Cup bid Panaji: Football fans in the country will know late on Thursday if India’s ambitious bid to host the U-17 World Cup in 2017 gets the go-ahead from the government.India’s bid to host the tournament -- the first of its kind in the country -- has stuttered because the central government has failed to provide guarantees that would meet FIFA’s basic requirements. The governing body for world football needs guarantees on tax exemption, security, visa and foreign exchange, all of which the UPA government has been unable to commit thus far. “The union cabinet will meet on Thursday and there is a good chance that India’s bid to host the World Cup will be discussed. Hopefully, we will get the clearance as well,” a senior AIFF official told TOI on Wednesday. India will be able to make an official bid only after the central government clearance. Azerbaijan, Ireland, South Africa and Uzbekistan are the other countries bidding to host the tournament but it is generally understood that India’s bid enjoys tacit support from FIFA higher-ups, including president Sepp Blatter. “Hosting the World Cup will be a game-changer. It will give the game a huge boost in India,” said the AIFF official. According to AIFF’s bid document, eight cities which includes Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Kochi, Guwahati and Margao have been identified to host the tournament. The AIFF were initially unable to provide all the guarantees that Fifa sought. The federation, however, did submit legal opinion which made it clear that all guarantees “would be taken care of ” once the tournament was allotted to India. Fifa has made it clear that all guarantees must be provided in advance. TNN
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 03:23:20 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015