The State government and the Greater Cochin Development Authority(GCDA) are legally bound to ensure that the entire Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor is given to FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) for the conduct of the Under-17 Football World Cup matches, according to an affidavit filed by the State government in the Kerala High Court.
The affidavit was filed in response to a writ challenging the notices of the GCDA by persons running business establishments at the commercial complex in the stadium.
The government said in the affidavit that FIFA had entered into an agreement with the All India Football Association and the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) for conducting the international football event at the stadium. As per the agreement, the GCDA, which owns the stadium, had undertaken to hand over it exclusively to FIFA for their use.
The affidavit added that if the condition stipulated by FIFA was not complied with, they would cancel the matches and the State would loose chances to host international events in future as well.
Safety concerns
The government also pointed out that more than 50,000 people were likely to assemble at the stadium. It was therefore the responsibility of the district administration to ensure the safety and security of spectators, officials, and players from various countries.