Sports Minister Vijay Goel today made it clear that all the facilities for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup to be held in six cities later this year should be ready by May 15.
Goel's comments were mainly directed towards authorities in Kochi, where the minister had made a visit recently after a FIFA inspection team found the preparation work unsatisfactory.
"...Shri Vijay Goel, recently undertook a visit to Kochi, Kerala. The Minister expressed his disappointment at the pace at which the preparations were going on. Therefore, he had a meeting with all the concerned officers and directed that no more extension of time for completion of works may be sought and all facilities should be ready by May 15, 2017," the Ministry said in a statement.
A FIFA team led by its head of competitions Jamie Yarza had set a deadline of May 15 for Kochi to complete preparation work at the stadium there. The team was in the country in March.
Goel will also undertake a similar visit to Kolkata on May 5. During the visit, he is likely to visit the competition as well as practice venues there. Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium will host the summit clash of the prestigious tournament on October 26.
"He (Goel) will also hold meetings with senior football players, Chief Minister of West Bengal, Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of West Bengal, with a view to seek their cooperation in popularising football and make FIFA Under-17 World Cup a success," the release added.
New Delhi, Navi Mumbai, Goa and Guwahati are the other host cities for the October 6-28 event.
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