Kochi: From being an ‘amateur kid’ two years ago, Kochi has emerged as the first Indian city to be officially declared as one of the venues for hosting the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
It indeed was a proud and memorable moment for the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, which has a total capacity of over 50,000, as there were questions about its preparedness for the mega event.
After his visit to the stadium in 2014, FIFA’s deputy director of competitions Inaki Alvarez had submitted a report to the governing body in which he termed the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium an ‘amateur venue’.
‘There are lots of things to be improved’, he stated, while highlighting several drawbacks of the stadium. The report also pointed out that since the stadium was originally built to host cricket matches, it would require a complete re-mold for conducting football events. Only Goa and Kolkata could impress Inaki during that visit.
On the basis of the report, the FIFA monitored the infrastructure development works undertaken at the stadium in the months that followed to make sure that all the readiness was there.
Two years down the line though, things have changed.
Kochi to host Under-17 World Cup matches
By expediting the process to take over the training grounds and completing the infrastructure requirements imposed by the governing body, the state government and the nodal officer, A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, earned praise of the visiting delegation.
Kerala Football Association (KFA) president KMA Mather and secretary P. Anil Kumar also put in great efforts to get the stadium ready to host the prestigious tournament.
The video footages of the crowd, which turned up in big numbers to cheer for Kerala Blasters in their home matches also helped Kochi’s cause. The delegation has also acknowledged the state's tradition and passion for football, while taking the final decision.
The positive attitude of Kochi Corporation, the Greater Cochin Development Authority, and the Kerala Cricket Association, which has been maintaining the stadium, also played a key part in making this historical event happen.
Chilean Javier Seppi, the tournament director, had praised Kerala’s rich football tradition in his report filed after his visit to Kochi a few months ago.