Efforts for emphasising the development of women's football in the country, gets India the bid for U-17 Women's World Cup 2020

NewsBharati    16-Mar-2019
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March 16: The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup has been announced to be hosted by India in 2020. All India Football Federation President Mr Praful Patel described it as a “proud moment” for Indian Football.

 
 

The decision was announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the FIFA Council held in Miami on Friday. “We are delighted to announce that India has been confirmed as the host of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in 2020”, Infantino said in an official statement.

 

This will be the second FIFA tournament India will be hosting, after the U-17 Men's World Cup in 2017.

 

“I would like to thank FIFA for keeping their trust in us and granting us the rights to host the tournament. I am also grateful to the Government of India and the State Governments for their support and providing us the necessary assurances which made winning this bid a reality”, expressed Patel.

 

“We felt the football evolution which India attained in the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 needed to continue, and as part of AIFF’s commitment towards development of Women’s Football, we decided to bid for the U-17 Women’s World Cup”, Patel stated.

 

The tournament will be massive as this time it will also galvanise the girls of the country, making it more popular.

 

General Secretary of All India Football Federation, Mr Kushal Das, described it as a ‘historic moment’ for Indian Football. “I cannot sum it up in words what this means to Indian Football. Together with all stakeholders we need to make it a grand success, and at the same time we understand that we need to be competitive”, he opined. 

“The support and enthusiasm by the Government of India, and the State Governments for this tournament will lead to incremental development in women’s football in the country”, he expressed.

The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup was first played in 2008 in New Zealand and is held every two years. Asian teams are the most successful teams in the tournament, with North Korea having won it twice while Japan and South Korea had won it once each. France and Spain are the only non-Asian teams to have won the tournament.