New Delhi: All India football Federation (AIFF), which has earlier made its intentions clear in January to take football in the country to the next level when it bid to host 2017 U-17 World Cup, has on Friday announced that it would place its bid and try to bring 2015 World Club Championship to India as well.
The announcement came as a surprise and it was made by the President of the AIFF in a press conference in front of the President of the FIFA, Sepp Blatter. Talking to the media, Patel said “AIFF on behalf of the country has placed a serious bid to host the u-17 World cup it our ambition to host the prestigious event. I am hopeful of the bid going through which will help India to earn a wild card entry into the tournament on the basis of host nation.”
Talking on AIFF’s ambitious bid to bring the World Club Championship in 2015, he said, “If the World Club Championship bid goes through then it will see the top Indian to participate in the tournament, then the top club of India would get to be a part of it which be a source of motivation to the clubs in India,” he added.
Blatter who has been serving as the president of the FIFA for the last 13 years said that India would always his has his support and would the game to develop in the country. But then he remained non-committal about the hosting rights as he said that the decision cannot be taken him alone and would be decided during the FIFA executive committee meeting in Zurich later this month.
“It is not me who decides everything in FIFA. We follow a democratic system in FIFA and decision would be taken by the executive committee. But for me I personally feel that India should be an ideal host for the event. It would help in developing grass root level football in India and there is a good possibility of India hosting the tournament,” said Blatter.
By Samikshan Dutta Choudhary
Indian Sports News
