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Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that he would be very interested in hosting the U-17 World Cup — which India has bid for — in his home state. The tournament will be held in 2017.
Chandy has approached the central government and will hope that the cabinet approves this request. Even though FIFA and AIFF will be handling the expenses of the tournament, the government has promised financial assistance if needed.
“While the expenditure for upgradation of stadia (Rs.95 crore) will be provided as additional central assistance to the State Governments, a sum of Rs.25 crore is kept as a contingency to ensure smooth conduct of the tournament.
“AIFF and FIFA have agreed to bear the entire expenditure of hosting the tournament. The amounts required are to be raised through sponsorships and other commercial agreements,” the statement added.
The Chief Minister will certainly be hoping for a positive response from the Centre, as the football-crazy state of Kerala certainly seems like an ideal venue for the event.
Source: India Today
