2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup: Opportunity & danger in one for India

India hosting the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup is a big opportunity, a possible game changer for Indian football but a number of steps and initiatives need to be taken to ensure that India puts its best foot forward in organising the event as well as put a competitive India Under-17 national team onto the field.

If not, then hosting the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup could be a real risk of putting India and its football back by a number of years or maybe even decades then world football governing body FIFA is currently a big supporter of Indian football, then without their consent and push, India would have never ever received the hosting rights of the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup.

A lot of positives have been said by administrators, officials, players, ex-players, celebrities and the media about India getting the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup hosting rights, but I am a little worried when I hear everywhere, lets work on the plans in the coming months and then implement or the alternative phrase, FIFA will tell us what we need to do once they come.

To those in the know, once India had handed in its documents it was clear that India would be given the hosting rights of the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup. That was a decision taken by FIFA two years ago, but government guarantees, national or state, were missing and therefore the All India Football Federation couldn’t hand in the bid document until a few days before the final extended deadline.

Now the tournament is ours, for India to organise but the formal work which should have been started months ago irrespective of us getting the tournament or not, has not been done and everyday lost is one which we will miss in the days leading up to the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup.

But I am positive, then getting the rights is the right push for Indian football in the coming four years and hopefully we learn what it needs to be professional in organising football in India.