KCOHI: When Chief Minister Oommen Chandy announced in the cabinet briefing on Wednesday that the government had given the nod for Kerala Football Association’s effort to host the 2017 Under-17 World Cup matches, he was taking forward an idea first proposed on February 10 during the valedictory function of ‘Goal 2012’ inter-collegiate football tournament organised by The New Indian Express.Paving the way to end Kerala’s woes on the football field, the cabinet meeting approved the KFA’s proposal to enlist a city in the state as one of the host venues for football’s showpiece event at the junior level five years hence, should it be allotted to India.“The cabinet has decided to extend full support to the Kerala Football Association’s bid to host the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup matches in Kerala,’’ said Oommen Chandy.The KFA had submitted a representation to the CM seeking the government’s support to its proposal to strive for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup matches during the valedictory function of ‘Goal 2012’ at Hotel Casino in Kochi.“This is a big decision by the Chief Minister. It will definitely pave the way for the development of football infrastructure in Kerala,’’ KFA president K M I Mather told Express.“More than the World Cup coming to Kerala, the most important thing is that football will come back into the limelight. It now becomes imperative that the government installs good facilities for the sport. We had submitted the proposal during the valedictory function of ‘Goal 2012.’ Express initiative to promote football has definitely helped in speeding up the government decision,” he said. At the function, the CM had promised to take all measures to revive football in the state.The football fraternity sees Wednesday’s announcement as a commitment by the state govt to build up basic infrastructure and rejuvenate the scene in a state which once dominated domestic football like no other.KFA secretary P Anil Kumar, himself a former Santosh Trophy player and qualified coach, said that the decision would help the association prepare strong bid documents with agreement letters from the Greater Cochin Development Authority and the Kochi Corporation, which between them owns the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium and the Ambedkar Stadium, pointing out Kerala’s potential to hold world class matches.‘’The KFA will forward the proposal to the All-India Football Federation before March 5. The AIFF is expected to submit India’s bid to FIFA by March 15,” he said.FIFA president Joseph Blatter is scheduled to visit India next month to ascertain its preparedness to host such a prestigious event.The host nation of the 2017 FIFA under-17 World Cup is expected to be announced in April.
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