Remember the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi? How can a sport loving Indian forget that, right?
For all the medals and victory ceremonies, the Commonwealth Games was also proof that India has a long way to go before it is ready to host a multinational sporting event of such magnitude. Corruption, delay in construction and compromise in infrastructure are all just the froth of the matter.
So naturally, when India was selected as the hosts for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017, there were enough reasons to be apprehensive.
Although it is a U-17 event and not of the magnitude of the Commonwealth Games, this will be the first ever FIFA tournament held in India and the entire subcontinent. First impressions go a long way and India have put in a lot of effort to ensure that.
But sports in India and controversies go hand in hand.
The kickoff of the U-17 World Cup is just a month away and here is a timeline of some unfortunate incidents you may have missed.
January 25, 2017: Indian Coach Nicolai Adam Sacked
Nicolai Adam was appointed the coach in February 2015 to build a competitive side. However, during his tenure, the team made an early exit in the AFC U-16 Championship in 2016 and a semifinal exit in the SAFF Championship in 2015 - a tournament they entered as the favourites.
The decision to sack him with just months left for the tournament looked foolhardy but there was more to the story.
Apparently, as many as 21 players in Adam’s squad signed a letter revealing his harsh treatment towards them. The German was accused of physically and mentally torturing the players and it was this allegation that forced AIFF and the sports ministry’s hands.
Although these allegations were initially denied, there was some truth in these stories as Praful Patel made the following comments:
“It was unfortunate the way things happened. On behalf of the AIFF, I can say that we took the decision in the interest of the players”.
Hiring Adam proved to be a disastrous decision in the end as the team lost valuable preparation time for the World Cup in addition to affecting their morale.
March 24, 2017: FIFA Expresses Concerns Over Pace of Work in Kochi
In March 2017, FIFA sent 21 members and the team of Local Organising Committee to inspect all six venues of the Under-17 World Cup, to check their readiness and the preparations in Kochi were found to be unsatisfactory.
FIFA Head of Tournaments, Jaime Yarza explained:
“I was here last February and, to be honest, while some work has happened, it’s by far not enough, which is a matter of deep concern.”
There was a risk of the venue being axed but it was in May passed fit to host the matches. However, considering the safety and security of spectators, the stadium that can house 60,000 spectators will now only sell 41,748 seats. In fact, all six venues have had their capacity reduced for the same reason.
May 15, 2017: Sports Minister’s Puyol Gaffe
Although, not a controversy, this was an embarrassment, to say the least. Former Barcelona captain and a member of Spain’s World Cup and Euro winning squad, Carles Puyol arrived in India for the ticket launch event of the World Cup.
The sports minister, Vijay Goel, delivered a speech on the occasion and it would have left any football loving Indian red faced.
Mr. Goel was unable to pronounce the name of Andres Iniesta, Puyol’s club and national teammate, while addressing the public and then went on to say that Puyol won the UEFA Champions League twice in 2006 and 2010 when in truth, he won the Champions League thrice in 2006, 2009 and 2011. Ouch!
May 19, 2017: India U-17 Team Beat Italy, or Did They?
AIFF announced that India beat Italy’s U-17 team 2-0 during the preparations for the World Cup, and it sent the whole nation into a frenzy. Yes, India beat the U-17 team of Italy that was formerly graced with the presence of legends like Gianluigi Buffon and Francesco Totti or did they?
Turns out, it was Italy’s C team comprising of players from Lega Pro and Lega Pro 2, the third and fourth tier of Italian football pyramid respectively. Misleading isn’t it?
July 7, 2017: AIFF President Praful Patel Gets it Wrong
Following in the footsteps of Sports Minister Vijay Goel, Praful Patel delivered an erroneous speech during the draw ceremony for the Under-17 World Cup.
He said, “India qualified for the FIFA World Cup in the 1950s,” after which he added, “it was the 1958 FIFA World Cup.”
This is a glaring error on the history of Indian football. It was in fact, the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil that India qualified for.
August 29, 2017: Tournament Officials Involved in a Verbal Argument
If you are a football fan who is active on social media, you might have come across the above video of Under-17 World Cup tournament director Javier Ceppi in a furious argument with Ankur Dutta, secretary of Assam Football Association.
Ceppi was furious with Dutta for giving out false information to the media over security concerns for the tournament. Dutta, Ceppi claims had told the media that the Indian team were playing all their matches in Delhi due to security reasons.
No, you have been telling the media that there has been a meaning to shift matches to Assam because of a directive of Ministry of Home Affairs. That is a very serious matter. And we take it very seriously. Why India is playing in Delhi is not because of security concerns… why did you have to tell Assamese media it is because of security concerns.Javier Ceppi in the video
This incident was just a few days after Ceppi raised concerns about slow ticket sales in Guwahati.
September 5, 2017: Tussle Over Opening Ceremony
The Indian government and AIFF planned a grand opening ceremony for the World Cup and requested the use of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi for the ceremony a day before India’s opening game at the same venue against the United States of America.
However, from the very beginning, FIFA and the Local Organising Committee have been insisting that FIFA tournaments do not have opening ceremonies worldwide. FIFA's Head of Tournaments Jaime Yarza has since made it quite apparent that such a plan was not particularly welcome.
To be in line with previous tournaments, and in the best interest of the sport, we believe that the main focus should remain on football and the players, and that the investment necessary for an opening ceremony is better deployed in the youth and in football development of the country -- even more so now with the AIFF’s ambitious plans to lay solid foundations for India’s footballing future.Jaime Yarza, FIFA’s Head of Tournaments
Amid All Controversies, How Is The Team Preparing?
Since the turn of the year, the U-17 team has played 15 games, winning 3, drawing 5 and losing 7. However, five of those defeats was under former coach Nicolai Adam and these defeats included a humiliating 8-0 defeat to Russia in the Granatkin Cup.
After Luís Norton de Matos was appointed the coach, things have started took better. The team played 9 games, won 2, lost 2 and drew 5. Although things could certainly be much better, the improvement is a welcome sight considering the issues the players faced under Adam.
The team’s next game is their first match of the World Cup against the USA on 6th October, followed by matches against Colombia and Ghana.
Let’s hope the team can put all the controversies aside and deliver a good performance. As fans, let’s back the blue to the hilt.
(Naveen Joseph is a passionate, avid and cognizant sports fan who believes that sports make the world a better place. Although content writing is his forte, he has significant experience in video production and copywriting. All of this after graduating from IIT Kharagpur. In the long run, he hopes to infect the rest of the world with his love for sports.)
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