Immediate goal is to successfully organize FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup: Shaji Prabhakaran

New Delhi [India], September 29 : All India Football Federation (AIFF) Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran on Thursday said that the organisation's immediate goal is to successfully organize FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup while setting realistic plans to take care of Indian football.
The Indian team is slated to play all their group matches at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. The host nation has been drawn in Group A along with Brazil, Morocco and USA. The other two venues for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2022 are Goa and Navi Mumbai.
"The immediate goal is to see that we successfully organize FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup and at the same time we develop a strategic road map with the support of FIFA, AFC and all other stakeholders because we have to look ahead. We have to look forward and we need to have the right plan and realistic goals which we have to design to take care of Indian football," Shaji Prabhakaran told ANI.
India is focused on the growth of women's football and the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2022 will expedite its progress as the nation prepares for its biggest football carnival. With the best players in the U-17 category from around the world making their way to India from October 11 to October 30, the people of this nation will have a chance to witness a very high level of competitive football.
Prabhakaran further added that they don't want to experience- FIFA banning AIFF- and said that they need to adopt practices so that they continuously govern better in every aspect of football in India.
"Absolutely that is what we have to prepare for so that we don't experience what we have experienced a few weeks back and for the important thing is the governance part of the football needs to be stressed and we need to adopt practices so that we continue to govern better in every aspect of football in India and for that to happen we need a greater collaboration, greater participation and bring about that transformation in the system whereby there is a lot of collaboration and we see that game is growing in the right direction and for that our current leadership and the management is focusing towards achieving that we never face that kind of crisis in future," he added.
FIFA Director, Strategic Projects & MA Governance, Nodar Akhalkatsi said that the football governing delegations are visiting some countries to support AIFF in the development of the strategic roadmap.
"So, FIFA and AFC delegation is visiting the country these days. The purpose is to assist and support the AIFF in the development of the strategic roadmap as you are aware the new leadership announced the roadmap of 100 days at the end of December. We are here to meet all the stakeholders. In order to help and assist AIFF with the priorities and global sustainabilities of the future of Indian football," Nodar Akhalkatsi, Director, Strategic Projects & MA Governance told ANI.
"I think the entire country is looking forward to hosting one of the biggest international tournaments and it will be a great opportunity for Indian girls to compete and also for Indian youth and the entire Indian population to host and witness the tournament participation, future generations of worldwide football and I would like to wish success to the Indian girls participating," he further added.
The seventh edition of the biennial youth tournament will be the first-ever FIFA women's competition to be hosted by India.