Following a request from the All India Football Federation, FIFA on Saturday agreed to hold the group matches of the 2017 U‑17 World Cup in New Delhi after discussions were held between the Local Organising Committee and the government.
Group A, featuring India will now be based in the Jawaharlal Stadium in New Delhi while teams of Group B will be based in Navi Mumbai. The venues for the knockout stage remain as per schedule, stated a LOC release.
Acknowledging the increased efforts of the local authorities in connection with the requested amendment, FIFA’s Head of Tournaments Jaime Yarza said: “Attendance, especially in the venue where the home team plays its matches, is one of the priorities of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, crucial to achieving the purpose of better positioning of football in the country, so the government’s commitment in this regard is highly appreciated.
We expect this involvement to extend into the area of pollution prevention, which has been an important topic discussed in relation to the tournament, in particular in Delhi. We are now expecting an action response plan to prevent pollution levels from affecting the tournament, which ideally should continue beyond the tournament.”
Besides India, who are automatically qualified as hosts, 23 other teams have progressed to the tournament. This includes four other representatives from Asia, two from Oceania, four each from South America, North America, and Africa. Europe will be putting out five teams. The draws for the tournament will take place on June 7 in Mumbai.