FIFA delegation, currently on a recce for the U-17 event in 2017, is all praise for facilities; says minor changes need to be made
The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is all set to be one of the facilities to host the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in India, with Jaime Yarza, head of the FIFA delegation that came to inspect the stadium, calling it a world-class arena.
"I had been told that this stadium is fantastic. After inspecting it today (Wednesday), I can say that with just a few amendments, this stadium will be among the best, if not the best, in the country," said Yarza, FIFA's head of events.
He's heading the delegation that visited Kochi and Goa and will travel to three other cities — New Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati. The cities are shortlisted to host the U-17 World Cup subject to meeting certain requirements necessary to host the FIFA event.
Asked what more was needed for the stadium to get the final nod, Yarza said: "We need to do some construction work and renovations for dressing rooms, doping rooms, technical rooms. With respect to medical facilities, that shouldn't be any problem because we have a hospital in the complex. We have suggested some changes to make it (the stadium) a high-level standard from what we expect from a World Cup-level stadium. The stadium owners have agreed to all these changes. You can say that 90 per cent of the work is done, just minor changes need to be done."
A FIFA delegation will decide the host venues after a detailed visit to all the stadiums in October 2016.
As per FIFA rules, for a stadium to host a FIFA tournament match, it needs to have a minimum of two training pitches near the stadium. Since the grounds in Navi Mumbai were far from the DY Patil Stadium, Dr Vijay Patil, who owns the stadium, has agreed to construct two training pitches within the complex.
"Dr Vijay Patil is a real visionary. Whatever we suggest, he tries to incorporate it. It's great to see such dedication," Yarza said.
The U-17 World Cup is said to be a watershed event for Indian football, and Yarza believes India will pass with flying colours. "As for facilities, I can assure you that the tournament will leave a legacy on India football. After the tournament, you'll will have much better infrastructure, that's for sure. The only challenge that this country will face is getting families to the stadium to watch the games. If you can manage that, then there's no limits to how much Indian football can improve," he said.
Yarza cited the case of Chile, where the last U-17 World Cup was held in 2015. "In Chile, families stopped coming to watch football games. We did everything to lure the families back, and I'm glad to say we were successful. Look at the way the fans supported the national team at the Copa America last year. We want to make such a difference to football in India."
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