AIFF's bid for the FIFA U-17 WC raises more questions than it answers

Allow me to regurgitate a few facts that some people may have forgotten:

* The Indian Olympic Association under the presidency of the ‘tainted’ Suresh Kalmadi successfully bid for CWG 2010 in 2003 with the full backing of the then ruling National Democratic Alliance government, the decision being endorsed by the United Progressive Alliance government that replaced it at the centre. The IOA projected an initial total budget of Rs. 1,620-1,899 cr. It underwent several upward revisions and finally the actual budget zoomed over Rs. 10,000 crore, not including non-sports related infrastructure development. All in all, CWG2010 may have cost the Indian exchequer at least 30,000 cr by conservative estimates.

* The bid document submitted by the IOA grandly observed that “it is expected that on completion, the Games are going to generate surplus”. Everybody knows that quite the opposite happened. According to one figure bandied about by the CWG organizing committee, the Games were expected to generate revenues of 1,780 cr from sponsorships, sale of telecast rights, ticketing, licensing etc. It is not known whether these revenues accrued, though that appears extremely doubtful.

* The last minute ‘winning goal’ that won the IOA the CWG bid was the offer of $100,000 to each member association of the Commonwealth family during the bidding process for the training of athletes (total cost $7.2 million or Rs. 32.4 crore). Other goodies that were doled out to clinch the bid included an offer of a travel grant of $10.5 million (Rs. 0.48 crore) for an estimated number of 5,200 athletes and 1,800 officials, luxury accommodation for the “CGF family” in New Delhi, chauffeur driven luxury cars for the duration of the Games and a free trip to the Taj Mahal.

In the light of the past experience with CWG2010, one wonders what will be the vote clincher for the AIFF. What sort of goodies will the AIFF have to dole out to the FIFA ex-com members, whose reputation for probity has taken a severe mauling in the past, for the debatable honour of staging a nominal event that only the AIFF top brass seems to be excessively interested in? And who stand to gain from the u-17 World Cup?

Tourism, as the government has said, probably quoting from the AIFF document? Or Indian football? Quite debatable. But assorted officials, marketing agents, private sector companies etc., could be licking their lips in anticipation of a killing, though the FIFA u-17 World Cup is loose change compared to the bonanza generated by the CWG.

This is a game that must be closely watched by one and all, should it come to be played.