PANJIM: Goa has been given the nod to host the AFC Under-16 Championship next year from September 15 to October 2, after Asian Football Confederation (AFC) delegation met Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar during their second inspection visit, on Friday.
The delegation consisting of Jinho Yu, Chetan Kulkarni, Kumarason Chandran and Darren Stewart briefed the chief minister on the matter at his Altinho residence, Panjim.
in his reply, chief minister assured full government support for the championship.
“We are very happy that Goa has been selected as the venue for the international football event. Football is in Goans blood and the State government ensures all its support, help and cooperation for the tournament. We will make sure that all the requirements for the facilities are complied well before the deadline,” said Parsekar.
Chetan Kulkarni, head of operations, AFC, informed, “We are happy with the facilities which Goa has to offer and thankful to Government of Goa for their proactive support. We expect a great tournament next year, where all 16 teams would definitely enjoy all the hospitality of the Goans.”
The Tournament Director for the AFC U-16 Championship, Javier Ceppi, expressed, “It is very good to see how interested Goa is in hosting the event and how supportive the government and all their agencies, especially SAG, have been so far. We expect to have a great tournament in 2016 and for that to happen, the continued support from the government will be key.”
The AFC delegation inspected the two main stadiums for the competition, GMC Bambolim and Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, along with eight potential training grounds namely Tilak Maidan, Utorda, Cuncolim, Assolna, Benaulim, Navelim, Raia and Nagoa, to be used by the 16 nations.
The AFC U-16 Championship India 2016 is the final stage of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 and will involve 16 nations and 31 matches to be played in Goa.
The 16 teams that have made it to the AFC U-16 Championship India 2016 are Uzbekistan, Oman, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, IR Iran, Kuwait, Malaysia, DPR Korea, Korea Republic, Japan, Australia, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal, UAE and India.
The championship will serve as the final official tournament preparation of the Indian National team that will play the India FIFA U-17 World Cup and will have a large influence in confirming Goa as a venue for the World Cup.
