State gears up for Under-17 World Cup

Extensive promotional events planned

A silhouette of ‘chundan vallom’ being readied at the Maharaja’s College stadium in Kochi, one of the practice venues for the Under-17 FIFA World Cup .

Football fever is catching up across the State ahead of the Under-17 FIFA World Cup beginning October 6.

A football ‘prayanam’ will be held from Neyattinkara to Kochi in the first week of October, while a torchlight rally celebrating the sporting event will be organised from Kasaragod to Kochi.

The ‘One Billion Goal’ initiative, which envisages shooting goals from penalty shootout points, will be held across the State from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on September 27. The event will witness the participation of personalities ranging from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to diehard football fans. The organisers are hopeful of setting a record by netting one billion goals on the day.

“Roads across the State will be flooded with banners and hoardings reflecting the spirit of the event. A large-scale promotional package is being implemented involving local bodies,” A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, the State government’s nodal officer for the event, said here on Friday.

The organisers will focus on kindling a passion for the game among schoolchildren and youth, Mr. Hanish said, adding that football matches, quizes, and discussions will be organised at educational institutions. “All schools will set up banners on campuses,” he said.

Students will get a chance to take up varied roles like escorting the players to the pitch before kick-off, besides becoming flag-bearers of participating nations.

Celebrity matches

Celebrity football matches will be held in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kozhikode as part of the preparatory events. Besides popular stars, the who-is-who from various walks of life will attend the events.

Kochi will host the matches involving teams included in Group D of the Under-17 World Cup. The teams are Brazil, Spain, Niger, and DPR Korea. According to the FIFA website, Brazil will take on Spain, while Korea will play against Niger on October 7.

Korea will meet Brazil in the match scheduled for October 10, while Guinea will play against Germany in one of the Group C matches scheduled for October 13. Spain and Korea will also come face-to-face on October 13. Kochi will also host a pre-quarter final match on October 18 and a quarterfinal on October 22.