FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 City Guide: Delhi

Published at :September 5, 2017 at 1:48 AM

Modified at :September 5, 2017 at 1:48 AM

With the big event just around the corner, Khel Now brings you the ways to reach the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. The host turf of Indian football team.

Ever since securing the hosting rights for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the Indian government has been bolstering its resources to make the event a big success. There has been tremendous support from multiple corporate houses in raising awareness and the level of enthusiasm for this event. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) along with FIFA have selected six worthy venues as their bases for football. Selecting six venues from a land as vast as India is a difficult task. These include the likes of Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Kolkata, Guwahati and Kochi. Out of these, it is safe to say that the football folklore is least in the National Capital Region and it will be interesting to see how North India responds to the tournament, particularly with the capital set to host India's games in Group A.

The Indian Team is set to play against the United States and Columbia under floodlights on 6th and 9th October respectively and the final group game is against Ghana on 12th October. Add to this, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will also host a couple of Round of 16 matches.

The geography of New Delhi certainly needs no introduction. There is hardly any northerner who has not been to the land of bureaucrats. Even if you acutely know anything of this city, you will certainly understand that the city is a cobweb of interconnected roads and Metro routes. Even as a resident, it gets frustrating to get lost in the maze of the many traffic jams.

Before guiding you through the various routes, potential accommodation and some do’s and don’ts, let us first understand the venue.

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

Named after the first Prime Minister of India, JLN Stadium was initially constructed to host the 1982 Asian Games, before being renovated for the Commonwealth Games of 2010. But, to accommodate the track, 18,000 seats were removed, reducing the capacity to just 60,000.

Currently, it is the home ground for Delhi Dynamos FC in the Indian Super League and has also hosted several matches of the senior Indian national team, a highlight being the friendly against Bayern Munich.

A panoramic perspective of the stadium

To make it easier for you, we are going to tell you exactly which seats you should be looking at for the matches. The entire gallery is divided into these little blocks. The ticket prices can vary from block to block.

Anyway, the blocks objectively best suited for viewing a football game in this arena are:

East Stand, Lower tier: Blocks A-24 to A-30East Stand, Upper tier: Blocks B-33 to B-40West Stand, Lower tier: Blocks A-3 to A-10West Stand, Upper tier: Blocks B-5 to B-12

The stadium's footfall traffic is evenly distributed among its 14 entrances, so getting in and out isn't much of a hassle. As far as travelling to the stadium is concerned, there is a metro station on the Violet Line, a stone's throw away from the stadium; and to make it easier for you to recognize it, the station is named after the stadium.

How to get to the Stadium

This is a city where everybody is in a hurry but are acutely on time. Time travel is quite practical and you are just shocked of how on the earth is it possible to travel time. The Delhi Metro is a perfect way to travel across the city in almost half the commutation time than any other means of transport.

By Metro

Jawaharlal Nehru Metro Station

JLN Stadium is in Pragati Vihar, near the likes of Dyal Singh College, Lajpat Nagar Market, Lodhi Colony and Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah. It has a metro station by its own name and even if you own a fleet of cars, don’t bother bringing one to the venue, if you don’t want to be stuck in the ruthless traffic.

JLN Stadium metro station falls on VIOLET LINE and if you are coming from the areas of Chandini Chowk, ITO, Jasola and Sarita Vihar then you don’t have to worry about anything, as all these stations are located on the same line.

Talking about the Various zones and National Capital Regions, follow the below instructions according to your location and your nearest metro station:

RED LINE - Traveling from Dilshad Garden, Shahdara, Pitampura, Keshav Puram and Inderlok. Get down at Kashmere Gate, head towards Platform 5 and board the train towards Escorts Mujesar. It will take you to the JLN Stadium station.
YELLOW LINE – Travelling from Adarsh Nagar, North Campus and Civil Lines. Get down on Kashmere Gate and head towards Platform 5 and board the train towards Escorts Mujesar. It will take you to the JLN Stadium station Travelling from Gurgaon, Hauz Khas and other southern suburbs. You can either get down at Central Secretariat or can ride all the way through to Kashmere and Gate and follow the above instructions, but it is advisable for you not to do this madness. Instead, after getting down at CST, head towards Platform 3 and board the train towards Escorts Mujesar.
BLUE LINE – Travelling from Noida, Mayur Vihar, Vaishali, Laxmi Nagar and Pragati Maidan. Get down at Mandi House and head towards Platform 3 and board the train towards Escorts Mujesar. It will take you to the JLN Stadium Metro Station. Travelling from Dwarka, Janakpuri, Rajouri Garden and Karol Bagh. Get down on Mandi House and head towards Platform 3 and board the train towards Escorts Mujesar. It will take you to the JLN Stadium Metro Station.
ORANGE LINE – Travelling from Dhaula Kuan or coming straight from the airport. You will need to get down at New Delhi Metro Station. From there, you can head either to Kashmere Gate or to Central Secretariat. Once you gett down at any of the stations, follow the instructions given above. Getting down at to Kashmere Gate should be preferred.
GREEN LINE – Travelling from Mundka, Udyog Nagar and Paschim Vihar. Either get to Kirti Nagar or Inderlok and then follow the prior instructions given for Blue and Red Line Metro links.

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By Road

Travelling by car or by any other vehicle to the compound might be restricted due to security reasons, as witnessed during several National Games.

If you still insist on bringing your ride, you may find prior hassle-free parking spaces near India Gate, Connaught Place and Khan Market, but the prices are not feasible if you seem to think that way.

One of the other gems of this city is the trademark bus link. The Delhi Transport Corporation operates ultra-cool low-floor CNG buses that cover every inch of the capital. The rarest of the rare blind spots that are not touched by the Delhi Metro, are in turn caressed by DTC services. Their reach goes from Seemapuri regions to the vast lands of hidden Fatehpur Beri. From cruising into the untamed Dawarka regions to the congested lands of Laxmi Nagar and Mayur Vihar, DTC services have a nick on every corner of the National Capital Region.

Here is a list of Route numbers that lead straight to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

Seeking Accommodation

Indian fans who must be traveling to the city, surely need a place to reside. Well, many of the travellers book their stay before leaving native shores, but there are a few who enjoy the thrill of uncertainty. Paharganj, Vaishali, Mahipalpur (Gurgaon), Janakpuri, Rohini and Noida are some of the places you could find a hotel in at reasonable rates. As far as students are concerned, GTB Nagar, Dwarka, Chhatarpur and Vasant Kunj cater to many Paying Guests. Airbnb and Oyo rooms offer accommodation at pocket-friendly rates.

For those who value luxury over thrill, Luxury Hotels near Central Delhi provide you with many options to go for.

Aid to Foreign Enthusiasts

International fans who might be visiting the Indian capital, are always welcomed with open arms and with utmost warmth. Local authorities will be cooperative to make their visit an unforgettable experience, but even if they would like to seek help from their embassies, following are the addresses of the missions of the USA, Ghana and Columbia.

Embassy of the United States: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Delhi 110021Telephone : 011-91-11-2419-8000

Embassy of Colombia: F-2/2, Ground Floor, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, Delhi 110057Telefono : 91 11 43202100, 91 11 43202101, 91 11 43202102

High Commission of Ghana: 50 N Satya Marg Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Delhi 110021Telephone : +91 (11) 2419-3500/1/2

Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s

Dress comfortably.
Carry accessories such as sunglasses, hats, umbrellas and so on for day matches.
Have an Identity Proof with you.
Understand your ticket and its location. There are 14 gates. You will need to know which one applies to your seat.
Enter hydrated and with a full stomach.
Reach an hour prior to kickoff to avail the best seats and avoid hassles.
Do carry an Indian flag, because why shouldn’tyou?

Don’ts

Don’t carry any external camera, gadgets, except your mobile phone.
Do not carry any eatables, cigarettes and so on. Not only will these things will be confiscated at the entrance, but they can also go against your right to enter.
Last but not the Least. Do not ignore this and follow these things,
Do not restrict yourself from sharing this article.