FIFA U-17 World Cup: New Delhi likely to miss marquee matches as FIFA keeps eye on post-Diwali air

THE CAPITAL is likely to miss out on the opportunity of hosting the marquee matches of the prestigious FIFA Under-17 World Cup later this year following the football federation’s concerns over the “extremely high” pollution levels in the city after Diwali.

With the tournament scheduled to be held from October 6-28, the all-important knock-out games will be held after Diwali, which falls on October 19 this year. So these matches are expected to be held at the other five venues — Navi Mumbai, Margao, Kochi, Guwahati and Kolkata.

The tournament director for the local organising committee, Javier Ceppi, said they have studied the capital’s air quality statistics for the “last six to seven years” and are analysing the data before taking a “conscious decision” on the issue. “The match schedule is not finalised yet. One of the reasons for that is the pollution. And pollution in Delhi is a serious concern… particularly after Diwali. We all know this,” Ceppi told The Indian Express on Tuesday.

While Delhi will not be stripped of all matches, it is staring at the possibility of hosting just the group-stage matches. “Until Diwali, October is decent, you can play. But after Diwali, it (pollution) shoots to a level that is extremely, extremely unhealthy. So would that mean that it may risk the capacity of Delhi hosting ‘marquee matches’ or further into the tournament? We don’t know yet,” Ceppi said.

The matches in Delhi will be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which was refurbished for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.Ceppi said FIFA initially expressed concern last year, and its medical council has also taken note of it. The world body, Ceppi said, is treating the issue “very, very seriously”.

FIFA’s inspection committee will survey all six venues in the country next month, and Delhi’s inclement weather is likely to be a topic of discussion.

“That (pollution) is one thing we can’t really control, no matter what different measures are taken. You cannot reduce pollution from one day to the next, to the amount that it would need to be reduced for hosting games. It will certainly be a factor when we are considering the schedule and allocation of matches, particularly in Delhi. Because in that sense, Delhi is the one that raises the most concern,” said Ceppi, who was earlier the tournament director for the Under-17 World Cups in 2013 and 2015.

The World Health Organisation ranked Delhi as the 11th most polluted city in the world last year. The city was shrouded in a blanket of smog as the pollution levels spiked after Diwali. The severity of air pollution and dense smog led to the cancellation of two Ranji Trophy matches last year, after the BCCI deemed the conditions to be unhealthy.

The Under-17 World Cup will be the biggest football tournament to be played on Indian soil. Twenty four countries, including India, will be a part of it.