A FIFA delegation alongside members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) inspected the Kalinga Stadium to ascertain the readiness of Bhubaneswar to host the FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup in 2020. Following the visit, the delegation expressed their satisfaction with the work which has been put in at the venue.

FIFA Project Lead for the Tournament Oliver Vogt said, “We are very happy to be here because we know Bhubaneswar is a city which is very passionate about sports. You have hosted the Hockey World Cup and now it is time to shift to football. If Bhubaneswar is selected as a Host City, we are very confident that the U-17 Womens World Cup will be a huge success.”

“Our Government is committed in its efforts to host the FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup. We are looking to complete all infrastructural build and upgradations by the end of February 2020,” said Vishal Kumar Dev, Commissioner-Cum-Secretary for Sports and Tourism, Govt of Odisha. He also announced that Kalinga Stadium would host the World Cup Qualifier between India and Qatar on 26 March, 2020.

Tournament Director of the LOC, Roma Khanna said, “Even though more work needs to be done with the overall infrastructure, we are confident in the ability of Bhubaneswar to deliver this. What is even more heartening is the plans towards womens football development that are taking shape.

We are extremely pleased and very appreciative of the State Government for putting weight behind this initiative. This is a key component for this Tournament, and we want to encourage more support to be given for the overall development of womens football.’’

Bhubaneswar became the third venue to be inspected by the FIFA-LOC delegation after Kolkata and Guwahati. The team will travel to Ahmedabad on Saturday to assess the facilities. The FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup will take place in India from 2 to 21 November, 2020.
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PHOTO: FIFA Project Lead for the Tournament Oliver Vogt (Centre), LOC Director Roma Khanna (Left) and Odisha Sports Secretary Vishal Dev at the press briefing in Bhubaneswar on 29 November, 2019.