New Delhi: On a day when the Indian national football team dropped one spot in the official FIFA rankings to 169th, India signed an agreement with FIFA on Wednesday under which the football body will provide strategical and technical assistance to the AIFF with the goal of stepping up efforts to meet the dual objectives of hosting the 2017 U-17 World Cup as well as qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The agreement was signed in the presence of FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke and All India Football Federation president, Praful Patel.
“It’s mostly about management, strategy and technical development for the future of (Indian football),” Valcke said.
According to Patel, this is to do with taking Indian football forward.
“We have a 10-year development programme called ‘Lakshya’,” Patel said, adding that it contains the roadmap for Indian football.
India has to submit the necessary bid files by September 26.
With various development projects being undertaken by FIFA in India, Valcke felt hosting the U-17 World Cup would be a perfect milestone.
“FIFA believes if there is one country in Asia that we need to focus, it is India. The U-17 World Cup would be a perfect milestone,” the Frenchman said.
“The executive committee will meet on September 26 and 27 and then again in December. We have to receive all the files by September 26.
“We would ask the executive committee to let India host the U-17 WC in 2017. FIFA takes care of large part of finance except the infrastructure for such tournaments,” he added.
Patel, too, expressed India’s wish to host the event, while also asking the world body for monetary assistance in order to install more artificial turf at football grounds in the country.
“India wishes to host the U-17 World Cup in 2017 in India. AIFF made a comprehensive bid document and it’s almost complete. It is complex as it involves so many states, ministries and departments.
“We will be making a formal presentation to FIFA. It has to be decided by FIFA’s overall committee. India’s strong bid and its commitment to various developmental projects in the country would make it a strong contender,” he said.
Valcke also described the mechanism of FIFA rankings as “complicated”, but expressed his firm confidence in them.
This came on the day that India dropped from 168 to 169 in the world, despite recently winning the Nehru Cup where the boys in blue had to play sides that were ranked higher.
The Nehru Cup, however, was not part of the official FIFA calendar, a fact noted by coach Wim Koevermans after the victorious final. (PTI)