Govt clears AIFF's 2020 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup bid

Although the Union Cabinet has given its green light to the proposal, there is still no decision on the ₹50 crore grant requested by the apex body.

India could soon see another youth international footballing showpiece event, as the government has given its clearance to the AIFF, in order to bid for the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. According to a TOI report, the Praful Patel-led body has already submitted an expression of interest to FIFA.

As per FIFA's guidelines, after the submission of a bid, the national federation needs to receive a go-ahead from its government, which has been assured. Now the AIFF needs to obtain a 'No Objection Certificate' from the union government, which needs to be submitted with the bid along with other necessities.

The proposed document states that the tournament will be played between 16 teams, across four venues including the national capital.

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The only hurdle which the AIFF faces now, is based on financial issues. According to the TOI report, the government hasn't yet agreed to the body's demand for a grant of ₹50 crore for the competition. The money will be used to develop the existing infrastructure. The government has reportedly told the AIFF that it will decide on the financial grant only after the body submits a blueprint regarding the tournament.

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Sports secretary Rahul Bhatnagar told TOI, "The sports ministry has given a no-objection certificate to the AIFF which it had been asking for. They said it’s a prerequisite thing to be submitted with the bid document, so the government has given them the document. However, we haven’t committed to ₹50 crore which they had been demanding from the government. Let them first submit the proposal as to how exactly they want to spend the money and we will positively have a look at it."

Furthermore, according to the report, a ministry source has quipped that the AIFF doesn't require that much money as infrastructure has already been developed when India hosted the Men's U-17 World Cup, in 2017. Meanwhile, the AIFF is of the understanding that once the bid document is successfully submitted, it will convince the ministry about the financial grant.