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The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has approved the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) bid for the the 2017 Under-17 Word Cup in India, thus boosting the country’s chances of hosting the tournament.
The bid is already being backed by FIFA’s vice-president, Jerome Valcke. The sports ministry had initiated the whole process and the AIFF is now waiting for the Cabinet to clear it before the bidding papers can be submitted to FIFA.
Reports had suggested that FIFA required a tax exemption on the earnings of various international stakeholders who are connected with the event, which include its broadcasters and sponsors. India’s first bid was rejected early this year, in January, due to insufficient assurances from the government regarding issues such as security, tax exemptions, foreign exchange inflow, transport and accommodation of players, etc.
P K Deb, the sports secretary, said, “We’ve received the clearance from the PMO and will now prepare a Cabinet Note for their approval. We’re committed to India getting the hosting rights for the U-17 World Cup and this is a major step in that regard. If we can speed up the process now and get Cabinet’s approval quickly, then we can table the bid during the meeting this month. Else, we’ll have to wait at least till September.”
The venues which have been approved by the government include New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Margao, Kochi and Guwahati.
Meanwhile, Ali Bin Al-Hussein, who is also a FIFA vice-president, has extended his hand of support to India’s bid to host the Under-17 World Cup.
“I support India’s bid to host the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. India is an important country in Asia and a crucial one for growth of the game,” said Al-Hussein, one of FIFA’s eight vice-presidents.
He added, “It is important for them to win the bid for the World Cup because not only will it improve the infrastructure in the country, but will also help in increasing the AFC slots for India and other countries.”
Source: Indian Express
