KOCHI GETS IN SHAPE TO HOST THE 2017 FIFA UNDER-17 WORLD CUP
Text: Sarath Francis Photos: Arun Menon
Roma Khanna, Head of Venue Inspections, FIFA’s Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, visited Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the first venue to be provisionally selected back in 2013 for FIFA games, this August to oversee work at the stadium ahead of the scheduled FIFA inspection in October 2016. Khanna has been working with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) as club licensing manager for the last five years. From being a sports journalist to the chief cricket correspondent for CNN-IBN and pursuing her Masters in FIFA, Khanna’s passion for sports and her drive to promote football in the country has been most inspiring. She took time out of her busy schedule to speak to FWD Business and talk to us about the upcoming WC and the future of sports in the country.
What campaigns have the AIFF planned to promote the FIFA U-17 WC?
Things have been picking up in the last couple of months. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the football WC coming to India in his radio programme “Mann Ki Baat” – one of the main mediums through which we aim to attract new audience to football. Another is a state school programme where we reach out to educational institutions, not just the ones that have a history of football related activity but also those that are new to the sport and have students actively participate in football. Our idea is to engage the community by bringing together and encourage new stakeholders – both adults and children to get interested in football in any capacity, not necessarily as players, but even as sport writers and supporters. We want them to enjoy football as a whole.
Why was Kochi chosen as the provisional venue?
Kochi has a lot of passion for the sport. There are a lot of people who follow football. People travel from across the state and come to the city to watch the games, which is very heartening to see; very promising!
How is work faring at the stadium?
It started off well, after the first FIFA visit in January this year. FIFA will be visiting once again next month, in October. One of the conditions for the venue to be ratified from a provisional venue to a confirmed venue is that the core infrastructure be ready. There is still work to be done, things that can be better and things that need to move a little bit faster.
What will include in the October inspection?
The FIFA inspection will assess each of the provisional venues, the progress made in core infrastructure and training sites from February to October. The deadline for the training sites is March 2017.
What is up next for Kochi?
Kochi needs to deliver. We have provided all the support. Members of the LOC have come here three to four times in the last two months. We come here to push things along and see that things are moving in the right track. If the inspection goes right, and FIFA gives with a positive review, then Kochi will set stage to host one the most prestigious preevent functions of the 2017 FIFA U-17 WC – the mascot launch.
What is the status of the other provisional venues?
There are five other venues. Four of them – Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, and Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium have started work. The Fatorda stadium in Margao is near completion. One of the best things, in hindsight, was the decision to host the AFC U-16 Championship in Goa this year. This means the core infrastructure in the state is already in place.
More about the FIFA U17 WC.
This is the first time a FIFA WC will be hosted in India and the first time that we will hear the Indian National Anthem as the team walks out for the game. I would like to quote Indian professional football player Sunil Chhetri who told the U-17 captain at an event, “You do not realise how lucky you are. I wish I could do that.”
What motivates you?
Everyone says India has a lot of potential and it is time we realised it. I believe so, too, and this motivates me. Working on good, quality projects, like the FIFA U-17 WC, that have the capacity to make a difference brings in a lot more people and support.
Are there any prospects for women’s football in India?
Yes. AIFF, with the support of FIFA, is looking to have a women’s league. We see a lot of potential for women’s sport and football in particular.
A message for the youth.
Do not let all the difficulties you face get to you, do not let people who doubt you get to you. Always focus on your goals and keep doing it for yourself, to better yourself, to become a better human being and to grow as a professional. Never lose optimism, always look at the glass as half-full and never as half-empty.