How Indian football will benefit from the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup

With over a week left for the much awaited FIFA U-17 World Cup to kick-off in Delhi, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, we are in for a 22-day football extravaganza. With tickets sold out in many of the host venues, the success of the biennial event is inevitable. But for a country like India, where football is not so popular, it has to look at the long-term benefits which it can achieve by virtue of this tournament.

Even if the Indian team go through to the knockout stages of the competition, the whole experience of brushing shoulders against the best of the lot and hosting the matches will help India to develop them as a better footballing nation in the future.

Let us have a look at how India will be benefited from after the FIFA Under-17 World Cup:

#1 The biggest football tournament the country has ever hosted

The FIFA Under-17 World Cup will be the biggest football show in India

This is by far the biggest football tournament in the country. The 2008 AFC Challenger Cup was probably the last time the country saw a few quality teams visiting the country. The “Blue Tigers” won that tournament and earned a ticket to the 2011 AFC Asian Cup for the first time in 27 years.

To be true this is the biggest tournament that India is ever being a part of. Previously, the Indian qualified for the 1950 World Cup but did not participate due to various financial reasons. So, after 67 years, they are getting an opportunity to participate in a major FIFA event and even host it. It is unlikely that the Indians will be a contender for the championship but they have nothing to lose and the experience they will gain will be priceless. A total of 23 nations will visit India and 6 venues will host 52 matches across 6 cities.

In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri said, "It will be a test of India’s ability to organize a big-ticket event and I believe we will do well. Everyone in the country needs to come together to make it a successful event. The whole world is watching and we cannot afford to fall short of any front.”

#2 Infrastructural improvements

The Central and State Governments have made huge investments in the build-up to the mega event. The 6 venues across 6 Indian cities have been given a major uplift and upgraded in accordance with world-class standards.FIFA has been pretty impressed with the work done on the stadiums and even lauded their efforts.

The majestic Salt Lake Stadium has undergone a huge up gradation; it will host 10 matches including the all-important final on October 28. The 1,20,000 capacity stadium has been reduced to 80,000 with the introduction of bucket seats throughout. New dressing rooms and improved facilities for the players and officials have made the venue a world class one.

Reportedly, a total of 100 crore rupees has been spent for the upliftment of the Kolkata-based venue. The Indira Gandhi Stadium in Guwahati has been installed with a new media box and the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai has also been laid with new bucket seats. In addition to these, each of these stadiums is now accompanied by proper training grounds attached to its nearby places.

#3 India will take football more seriously

In a cricket crazy nation, the occurrence of such a high-profile football tournament will definitely popularise the sport in this part of the world. To be honest, football is followed in a few pockets in our country which is confined to the North-East region, West Bengal, Goa and recently, Bangalore.

The Indian Super League was a genuine breakthrough for Indian football which involved big names and all the necessary glitz and glamour which ensured the people of our country to stay glued to their television sets for two and a half months of non-stop football. The junior world cup will give the Indian football fans an International flavour.

Hosting such a tournament will help to improve the cricket-centric condition of the people of India. With the I-League and the Indian Super League to kick-off just after the World Cup, the football fever is here to stay for the Indian people. The steep rise in the FIFA rankings throughout the past year has somewhat brought a football wave into the nation but it could well be short-lived. To make it an everlasting one, the AIFF needs to take proper steps and remove India’s tag of being the “Sleeping Giants of World Football”.

#4 India will gain global accreditation

The trophy being unveiled at a promotional event, tournament director Javier Ceppi (extreme left) watches the proceedings

Speaking of global fame, the matches will be telecast throughout the globe and the reputation of our country is on the line. It will help India to bid for more major tournaments in the upcoming years. Coca-Cola has a long-standing partnership with FIFA, on the occasion of this event, Coca-Cola made an initiative to roll the World Cup to different parts of India where people can get a trophy experience close to their physical proximity.

Coca-Cola is also a global partner for the development of sports in India, such relations healthy relations will help the cause of the game to a large extent in India. If India emerges as a profitable nation, many big teams might think of the prospect to tour India for International friendly matches.

Speaking frankly, most of the European clubs visit various parts of Asia for pre-season tours, especially China, Japan and Australia, India should aim for attaining such status where clubs would want to play. We would be privileged to see the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo play in front of our eyes. But all said and done, a plenty of work needs to be done and the FIFA Under-17 World Cup is the stepping stone to success.

#5 The current under-17 will bring more success in the future

Indian Under-17 football team pose during a match

The current Indian boys who will take the centre stage in the showpiece event in a few days time have been groomed from the grass root levels. It has been a long process to identify the best XI of the country and make them play together. The Under-17 team played in many exposure trips in Germany, Iran, Spain, and Russia. During their visit to South America, the Asians held Chile to 1-1 draw.

Results prove that the youth has the potential to compete with the best, it necessary to focus on these boys even after the Under-17 World Cup. They can bring India more glory in the future in various International tournaments. The AIFF should take care that the system of bringing raw talent must be done properly following the World Cup. In fact, the sports ministry is keen to take the game to the interior parts of the country since most of the talent is coming from the tribal area and the north-east region.

“The stage is big and the opponents are stronger but the key here is to make the most of every minute of the tournament. The boys need to go out there, put in action all they have been training for and soak in all the lessons the Cup will teach them. The results will take care of themselves,” said Sunil Chhetri.

Edited by Abhijit Bharali