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What's the story?
The much-awaited FIFA Under-17 World Cup is knocking at the door and the organisers are taking every possible step to ensure the security of the players, officials and the spectators. 23 countries will visit India for the showpiece event during the 22-day football fiesta. As per rules set by FIFA, mobile phones, purses are allowed inside the ground but carrying plastic bottles for water is strictly prohibited.
The majestic Salt Lake Stadium which will host the final has been installed with 250 CCTV cameras, some of which are night vision enabled. Apart from this, drones have also been employed and the stadium will be wrapped in a four-layer security system.
In case you didn't know....
This is the biggest football event the country has ever hosted; the matches will be broadcast across the globe so the reputation of the country will be on the line. Crores have been spent on the development f the venues in 6 host cities to maintain it as per world class standards.
Reportedly, an excess of 100 crores has been spent on the renovation of the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The Indian Under-17 team has been groomed from the grass root levels and were taken to many exposure trips to Germany, Iran, Spain and Russia.
The heart of the matter
Things which are not allowed inside the stadiums during the FIFA Under-17 World Cup:
Glass/Bottles
Cigarettes/Lighters
Tins/Cans
Musical Instruments
Flammable/Toxic/Hazardous Substances
Metal Containers
Fireworks/Crackers
Weapons
Helmets
Bags
Outside food
Any liquids including Alcohol
Illegal substances
Any kind of powder
Computers/Tablets
Video Recorder
Audio recorder/Transistor
DSLR Camera
Items displaying commercial logos distracting from the rights of any commercial affiliate (without limitation banners/flags).
Permitted size for flags not to exceed 2m x 1.5m and without poles and sticks.
What's next?
The biennial football tournament is scheduled to start on October 6 and it will be inaugurated by the honourable Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi. Indian colts will face an uphill task in a very strong group consisting of the United States of America, Colombia and Ghana.
Author's take....
The upcoming Under-17 World Cup is supposed to bring a revolution in football in our country and it should be taken care that there is no scope for any flaws on the organiser’s behalf that FIFA should complain about. The success of this tournament will also help India host many big-ticket football events in the future.
