The 30-day countdown to the Fifa U-17 World Cup to be hosted by India began with a celebrity match between some of the sport’s legends and Indian stars on Wednesday at the DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai, one of the six venues for the tournament that kicks off on October 6.
The DY Patil Stadium, which is the only privately owned sports arena among the six venues, was originally slated to host the Indian team’s group matches but Fifa had to move those games to New Delhi following a request from the Union government.
Navi Mumbai will now host five Group B matches involving New Zealand, Turkey, Mali and Paraguay apart from the final Group A game between USA and Columbia. It will also host a Round-of-16 game and the second semi-final. Dr Vijay Patil, the president of DY Patil Sports Academy, is hopeful that the event could change the football landscape of the city.
“It’s true that we would have loved to host the India matches but I can understand the reasons behind shifting them to New Delhi,” Patil said. “But Mumbai still is going to host two important knockout games, including a semi-final, and I am sure fans in and around the city would be delighted to see the future stars in action.”
The venue that has hosted Indian Premier League and Indian Super League games in the past has been refurbished for the U-17 World Cup according to the Fifa guidelines. It was voted one of the best centres by Fifa’s inspection team.
The stadium owners have spent about Rs 30 crore in refurbishing the venue, including changing the roof, chairs and building 16 emergency exit bridges. They have also built two additional dressing rooms and set up four training grounds in the vicinity.
“The whole idea was to give the spectators a great experience apart from making sure all Fifa stipulations were met with and I am happy that even Fifa officials have liked the venue a lot,” said Patil, adding that he expects more people to fill in the stadium with the lowest ticket priced around Rs 150.
When asked about his feedback on the ticket sales for the game so far, Patil said, “In India ticket sales only pick up a few weeks before the actual tournament. I am hopeful that all those who love international football will come to the stadium to support the future stars as well.”
Patil, who is also the chairman of the Mumbai District Football Association, insisted that hosting the World Cup games was just one step towards promoting football in the area. He added that he was already studying various models to start a football academy at the venue once the tournament ends.
